One of New Zealand’s youngest political candidates, 21-year-old Hana-Rāwhiti Maipi-Clarke, has experienced more politically targeted abuse in the past week than many senior politicians have experienced in their entire careers.
The candidate for minor party Te Pāti Māori, has had her home broken into twice, her belongings and rubbish bins rifled through, a threatening letter left in her mailbox and a man turn up to her house in the early hours of the morning yelling racial slurs while trying to break down her fence.
