Rotorua Mayor Tania Tapsell Criticizes Misuse of Image by Hobson’s Pledge

Rotorua Mayor Tania Tapsell has expressed strong disapproval after Hobson’s Pledge used her image without consent in a social media post that criticized Māori wards. The post included quotes from Tapsell, which she claims were misrepresented to suggest she supported the political lobby group’s agenda.

In a Facebook response, Tapsell stated, “You do not have my permission to use my image or comments to mislead the public that I support your campaign.” The post in question utilized quotes from Tapsell taken from comments made in May 2021 and October 2022, presenting them out of context.

Image Usage Sparks Controversy

The image featured in the Hobson’s Pledge post was sourced from NZME, the publisher of the Rotorua Daily Post. NZME confirmed that it contacted Hobson’s Pledge, requesting the removal of the image due to copyright issues, which the organization complied with. However, Hobson’s Pledge later reposted the same quotes alongside a different image of Tapsell sourced from the Rotorua Lakes Council website.

In this new instance, Hobson’s Pledge accused Tapsell of using a copyright complaint to evade a “difficult” conversation regarding Māori wards. Tapsell expressed her surprise and disappointment at the misuse of her image, remarking, “I’ve never been associated with, and don’t ever intend to be associated with, Hobson’s Pledge.”

Clarifying Her Position on Māori Wards

Tapsell clarified her stance on Māori wards in Rotorua, emphasizing that her previous comments reflected her views specific to the local context, rather than a blanket stance on Māori wards. “We’ve been fortunate in Rotorua to have at least 40 percent of the council being of Māori descent. As the first Māori female mayor, I recognize the need for Māori representation,” she stated.

While she acknowledged seeing the necessity for Māori wards elsewhere, Tapsell raised concerns about their practical implementation in Rotorua. She expressed her support for maintaining the current structure of Māori wards while advocating for future representation reviews.

In response, Don Brash, leader of Hobson’s Pledge, defended the organization’s actions, asserting that they had the right to use Tapsell’s quotes. He noted that Hobson’s Pledge did not seek permission to use either the image or the quotes, stating, “What we’re quoting her as saying is what she said. She was opposed to Māori wards.”

This incident marks the second controversy involving Hobson’s Pledge’s use of imagery in recent weeks. Earlier in August, the organization faced backlash for including a photo of Rotorua woman Ellen Tamati in a nationwide campaign, prompting numerous complaints to the Advertising Standards Authority.

Brash explained that while Hobson’s Pledge usually sources images from recognized photography websites, they believed the initial use of Tapsell’s image was legitimate. The image was replaced following concerns but Brash insisted, “We are not the least bit concerned that we did anything inappropriate.”

Tapsell, for her part, has decided not to pursue her complaint further, feeling that engaging with Hobson’s Pledge would be futile. A binding poll regarding Rotorua’s three-seat Māori ward will coincide with the upcoming council elections in October, in which Tapsell is seeking re-election as mayor. Additionally, referendums on Māori wards are scheduled to take place across 42 councils nationwide, encompassing 37 local and five regional councils.