The National Party launched a campaign attack video against Labour featuring multiple violent crime clips from incidents that occurred after the coalition government took office, prompting fierce accusations of dishonesty from opposition politicians defending their record.
Inside the Attack Ad and Its Sourced Footages
The controversy centers on a digital campaign video posted across multiple social media platforms, carrying the captions We can’t go back. Party Vote National
and never forget how they gaslighted you
. The video intercuts footage of former prime ministers Dame Jacinda Ardern and Chris Hipkins defending crime statistics with 15 specific clips showing ram raids, smash-and-grabs, armed robberies, and gang activity, followed by an infographic touting National’s record on law and order.
Reporting confirmed that at least five of those 15 clips depict crimes that took place after the coalition government was officially formed on November 27, 2023. Among the identified instances are a smash-and-grab by six people at a Michael Hill jewellers in Mount Maunganui’s Bayfair mall on January 27, 2024, followed by an armed robbery at a Manurewa jewellery store on April 25, 2024.
Additional identified clips include footage from a documentary filmed in Ōpōtiki ahead of the gang patch ban showing events from November 2024, alongside boyracer events recorded in Hamilton and Levin in April and June 2024 respectively. The original dates for two further clips remain unverified.
National Party Leadership Defends Core Message
National leader Christopher Luxon dismissed the controversy after a caucus meeting, acknowledging that the party may have utilized certain images that actually were before our laws took full effect,
but insisting that the primary message regarding public safety remains accurate.
No, not at all. Crime is down – 37,000 fewer victims of serious violent crime, serious youth offending down 26%, ram raids down 85%, police up on the beat by over 100%.
Christopher Luxon, National leader, via 1News
When pressed on why the advertisement incorporated crimes committed during his own administration, Luxon argued that the broader point stood against the opposition’s historical record. He urged voters to consider whether communities and businesses felt safer three years prior, maintaining that Labour was out of control on crime.
National’s campaign chairperson Simeon Brown also defended the production, confirming that Mark Mitchell was Police Minister when some of the featured crimes occurred. Brown maintained that the party was operating with focus and honesty regarding its legislative agenda.
“Most of those scenes were prior to when the legislation came into effect. We’ve changed the law – we’ve got rid of gang patches, put in tougher consequences for crime, and given judges more discretion. All of that means people are feeling safer on our streets than they were under Labour.”
Simeon Brown, Campaign Chair, via 1News
Labour Accuses Rivals of Dishonesty and Desperation
Labour Party figures launched sharp rebukes against the advertisement, characterizing the video as an admission of failure regarding the current administration’s own governance track record.
Labour leader Chris Hipkins asserted that the governing party can’t campaign on their own track record, leaving them reliant on fabrication. Hipkins also pointed to past findings by the Advertising Standards Authority to question National’s credibility with voters.
Labour’s campaign chair Kieran McAnulty echoed those sentiments, telling reporters that the strategy demonstrated profound anxiety within the governing party.
“They are desperately worried … and they are trying desperate measures. I’m not sure it’ll wash with New Zealanders. I’m not sure it’ll sit that comfortably with them.”
Kieran McAnulty, Campaign Chair
Labour’s police spokesperson Ginny Andersen further accused National of lying their way through this campaign after being caught utilizing clips generated on their own watch.
Broader Political Stakes and Campaign Trajectory
The dispute over the campaign video highlights how law and order remains a central battleground, with both sides aggressively contesting statistical narratives around victimization rates and police deployment.
While National leans on figures showing reductions in ram raids and serious youth offending since taking power in late 2023, opposition critics point to the provenance of the visual evidence to challenge the ruling party’s transparency. As the debate continues across digital platforms and caucus briefings, the clash underscores the intense scrutiny facing political messaging as parties vie for public trust on community safety.