Rotorua Mayor Tania Tapsell Criticizes Use of Her Image

Rotorua Mayor Tania Tapsell has expressed strong disapproval of the political lobby group Hobson’s Pledge for using her image without permission in a social media post that criticized Māori wards. The post misrepresented her quotes, leading Tapsell to assert that they were used to create a false impression of her support for the group’s agenda.

In a statement on Facebook, Tapsell made her position clear: “You do not have my permission to use my image or comments to mislead the public that I support your campaign.” The controversial post included quotes from Tapsell taken from two separate occasions in May 2021 and October 2022. The image used was sourced from NZME, the publisher of the Rotorua Daily Post, which later confirmed that it requested Hobson’s Pledge to remove the image due to the unauthorized use. Following this request, Hobson’s Pledge replaced the original image with a different one sourced from the Rotorua Lakes Council website but continued to use the same quotes.

Tapsell expressed her surprise at the situation, stating, “I’ve never been associated with, and don’t ever intend to be associated with, Hobson’s Pledge.” She elaborated on her views regarding Māori wards, indicating that while she supports the retention of Māori wards in Rotorua, her comments were specific to her local context. She noted, “We’ve been so lucky here in Rotorua that we’ve often had at least 40 percent of the council being of Māori descent, and, of course, myself as the first Māori female mayor.”

She acknowledged the need for Māori wards in other areas but raised concerns about their practical implementation in Rotorua, emphasizing the importance of local discussions on the matter. Tapsell stated she would advocate for a return to representation reviews to shape the council’s future.

In response, Don Brash, leader of Hobson’s Pledge, defended the group’s actions. He stated that they were “not prepared” to make any changes to their posts, confirming that Hobson’s Pledge did not seek permission from either Tapsell or NZME before using the images. “What we’re quoting her as saying is what she said. She was opposed to Māori wards, and I think we are totally within our rights to quote the things that she said in 2021,” Brash asserted.

This incident marks the second controversy for Hobson’s Pledge in recent weeks concerning the use of imagery. In early August, the organization faced backlash for using a photo of Rotorua resident Ellen Tamati in a nationwide campaign, prompting numerous complaints to the Advertising Standards Authority. Following the complaints, Hobson’s Pledge removed the billboards and offered an apology.

Brash mentioned that the organization typically sources images from recognized photography sites. He acknowledged that the initial use of Tapsell’s NZME image was believed to be legitimate, but it was replaced after concerns were raised. “We are not the least bit concerned that we did anything inappropriate,” he added.

Despite the controversy, Tapsell indicated she would not pursue her complaint further, stating that engaging with Hobson’s Pledge seemed futile. A binding poll regarding Rotorua’s three-seat Māori ward is scheduled to coincide with the Rotorua Lakes Council elections for mayor, councillors, and community boards in October 2023. Tapsell is seeking re-election as mayor, and across the country, referendums on Māori wards will take place in 42 councils—37 local and five regional.