'I've got your back' - National leader Judith Collins defends teen candidate over Hitler impersonation

July 29, 2020

The National Party leader says she's backing the 18-year-old who posed as Hilter on social media.

National Party leader Judith Collins says she's standing by her Palmerston North candidate MP after a photo of him posing as Adolf Hitler four years ago surfaced online.

Ms Collins said the bullying of the 18-year-old has been "very nasty and dirty".

Yesterday, Mr Wood apologised for appearing to impersonate Hitler when he was 14.

A photo emerged on social media showing Mr Wood with a painted-on moustache, similar to Hitler’s, and holding up his arm in the Nazi salute.

“The photo was taken when I was 14. It was an error on my part. I apologise for any offence I may have caused,” he told 1 NEWS.

It's not the only scandal the young National candidate has been involved in, though. 

Late last year Mr Wood posted then deleted a photo on social media which showed a friend, standing beside him, making a hand gesture adopted by white supremacists. His friend was also wearing a “Make America Great Again” hat.

National's Palmerston North candidate William Wood with leader Judith Collins.

However, this morning Ms Collins defended Mr Wood.

"I would have thought that the bullying of William Wood, our candidate in Palmerston North, has been very nasty and dirty," she said of the backlash to the Hitler image.

"A 14-year-old making a very foolish mistake and then apologising for it - he's been now, I think, targeted and bullied and I will not stand for that."

She described dirty politics as "things either being unfair or going back to someone's very long time past and using it like that".

When asked by media if four years is a long time past, Ms Collins referenced Mr Wood's young age.

"Anyone who's been a mother or father of a 14-year-old boy will understand, or girl, will understand that they will occasionally make mistakes and no one expects them to come back later.

"I thought it was a shocking attack on a young man who has really grown up. The fact he went straight away yesterday and apologised for his mistake at 14, I thought showed immense maturity.

"I would like to say to him, 'Look, don't worry, we've got your back.'"

The scandal comes off the back of a tumultuous time for National MPs.

Disgraced Clutha-Southland MP Hamish Walker is quitting politics with his leak putting intense pressure on the National Party 74 days out from the election.

Clutha-Southland's Hamish Walker announced he won't stand at the September election after he leaked confidential Covid-19 patient information to the media.

As well, Rangitata MP Andrew Falloon quit moments before it was revealed he had confessed to sending pornographic images to at least one young woman.

"It's important to understand that every political party has the odd issue to deal with from time to time, particularly a party with the largest number of MPs in Parliament, but having dealt with them I'd think people should be very pleased with that," Ms Collins said today.

Two more women have now come forward to say they received inappropriate material from Mr Falloon.

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