Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters has rejected claims of anti-rainbow sentiment, while Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has called Green MP Benjamin Doyle’s posts “inappropriate.”

It follows online controversy about Doyle’s private account, which included the term “bussy” — a slang word that combines “boy” and a vulgar anatomical reference.

Luxon said he thought Doyle’s language was “really inappropriate” and suggested he should face the same level of scrutiny as any other MP.

“In the scrutiny and reality of political life, our social media language is scrutinised by the media, by fellow politicians, and the public,” Luxon said.

At the Prime Minister’s regular Monday press conference, reporter Claudette Hauiti asked Luxon why he disagreed with Doyle, if he supported the takatāpui — “which the transgender community is part of,” she said.

The Prime Minister responded, “You’re conflating two different issues,” to which Hauiti interrupted “No, I’m not.”

She said members of the takatāpui community understood what Doyle was saying.

Luxon replied, “I thought it was inappropriate. If one of my MPs had used similar language, I think you’d be holding me to account and scrutinising it very strongly — I think the MPs would, and so would the public.”

Earlier, Winston Peters held a stand-up with reporters, accusing journalists of failing to question Doyle with the same intensity they apply to other MPs.

“This is identity politics at its worst. This is virtue signalling at its worst,” Peters said. “All I’m asking is for you to ask him to explain his posts.”

He said the media had shown bias by not asking Doyle about the content of the posts or why 52 of them were deleted.

“If he had been a white man, you’d have asked him thousands of questions. Not a word. Not a syllable. Not a sound. Not a murmur,” Peters said. “You think that’s journalism?”

.@winstonpeters: I’m asking the mainstream media why won’t you do your job and question the Greens? pic.twitter.com/ubCJsNgOdD

— New Zealand First (@nzfirst) March 31, 2025

The New Zealand First leader said he had seen the deleted content and described some of the language and imagery as “alarming” and “concerning.”

He questioned why the Green Party had not launched its own inquiry.

When pressed on whether he knew the child pictured in one of the posts was Doyle’s own, Peters said, “Of course not. How would I know that?”

He dismissed suggestions that he bore any responsibility for threats made against Doyle, saying those threats had come before he made any posts online.

“There’s no excuse for that at all,” Peters said. “But I don’t take any responsibility, because the Green Party came to our office well after the threats had been given. We had already posted by that time.”

He objected to accusations of spreading disinformation, saying the issue was about accountability. “I’m just asking questions,” he said. “I would like him to explain himself — that’s all I’m asking.”

Peters ended the press conference by walking away and telling reporters: “You’re talking to the wrong guy.”

His comments came in response to criticism from Green Party co-leaders Chlöe Swarbrick and Marama Davidson, who accused Peters of amplifying disinformation and fuelling online abuse directed at Doyle.

Swarbrick said, “This morning, the Deputy Prime Minister has decided to double down on disinformation, fanning the flames of hatred towards the rainbow community that we have recently seen can lead to real-world violence.”

Davidson added, “We are calling on the Prime Minister to take responsibility for the behaviour of his coalition colleague. We are deeply concerned that the Deputy Prime Minister has doubled down on disinformation and is actively fanning flames of hatred towards the beautiful rainbow community.

“I am especially concerned about the risk of real violence. Over the weekend, Green Party representatives reached out to the Prime Minister directly and to New Zealand First’s chief of staff to ensure they understand the danger this behaviour creates.

“We are currently screening an immense number of death threats and abuse directed at our MP Benjamin Doyle and their child. These threats are driven by dangerous conspiracy thinking and are amplified by Destiny’s Church and the Deputy Prime Minister.”

Davidson said members of minority communities often use irreverent or misunderstood language within their own circles and rejected the idea that Doyle’s private posts were suspicious.

“This isn’t the standard politicking by the Deputy Prime Minister. This isn’t a game of who’s winning this round of clickbait. Just a month ago, we’ve seen Destiny Church physically attack people at drag story time based on the deeply dangerous trope that the rainbow community presents a danger to children. These attacks on Benjamin come from the same playbook.”

Swarbrick said she contacted Luxon directly on Saturday morning about the threats, but received no response. “He didn’t respond, but passed it to his chief of staff. I again reached out this morning.”

She defended Doyle’s use of language, saying, “What we’re talking about is a private account that existed before they were a Member of Parliament. Members of the queer community often use language that might appear outrageous or irreverent to outsiders, but which has different meaning within the community.”

She added, “We really didn’t want this to get into the public sphere. But the reality is it is now resulting in real-world danger towards a Member of Parliament, their child, and the broader rainbow community.”

Left-leaning blogger Martyn Bradbury responded to the controversy on X, saying, “Watching the deplorable attack on a Green MP with such hatred and zero f*** evidence helps me understand how Peter Ellis happened. Some of you should be ashamed of the lynch mob you’ve started. I’ve been in politics a long time and thought Dirty Politics was bad — this is worse.