Benjamin Doyle

{{About|the politician from New Zealand||Ben Doyle (disambiguation){{!}}Ben Doyle}}

{{Infobox officeholder

| honorific-prefix =

| name = Benjamin Doyle

| honorific-suffix = {{post-nominals|country=NZL|MP|size=100%}}

| image = Benjamin Doyle (cropped).jpg

| imagesize =

| caption = Doyle in 2023

| birth_date = {{Birth based on age as of date|32|2024|10|23}}

| birth_place =

| birth_name = Benjamin Cody Doyle

| death_date =

| death_place =

| constituency_MP3 = Green party list

| term_start3 = {{start date|2024|10|22|df=yes}}

| parliament3 = New Zealand

| predecessor3 = Darleen Tana

| majority =

| party = Green

| profession =

| spouse =

| children = 1

| residence =

| website =

| footnotes =

}}

Benjamin Cody Doyle (born {{Birth based on age as of date|32|2024|10|23|noage=1}}) is a New Zealand politician, representing the Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand{{cite web | url= https://www.greens.org.nz/benjamin_doyle_2023 | title=Benjamin Doyle candidate profile |website=Green Party |url-status=dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20240616111959/https://www.greens.org.nz/benjamin_doyle_2023 |archive-date=16 June 2024}} as a Member of Parliament since replacing Darleen Tana, who was removed in 2024. Doyle is the first non-binary gender Member of Parliament.

Early and personal life

Doyle was born in {{Birth based on age as of date|32|2024|10|23|noage=1}},{{cite news |url=https://thespinoff.co.nz/politics/23-10-2024/who-is-benjamin-doyle-the-soon-to-be-green-mp-replacing-darleen-tana |title=Who is Benjamin Doyle, the soon-to-be Green MP replacing Darleen Tana? |first=Gabi |last=Lardies |date=23 October 2024 |work=The Spinoff |access-date=23 October 2024}} and grew up in Whangaparāoa.{{Cite web |url= https://poutamapounamu.org.nz/profiles/benjamin-doyle |title=Benjamin Doyle profile |website=University of Waikato}} They are of Ngāpuhi, Scottish, and Irish descent. They lived in Auckland through high school and university.{{Cite news |last=Lines-MacKenzie |first=Jo |date=4 November 2024 |title=Meet Parliament's first non-binary member |url=https://www.waikatotimes.co.nz/nz-news/360473897/meet-parliaments-first-non-binary-member |access-date=17 November 2024 |work=Waikato Times}}

Doyle was a teacher at Auckland Girls' Grammar School and Manurewa High School. Later, they held positions of head of Māori at Melville High School and head of social sciences at Rototuna Senior High School.{{Cite news |title=New Hamilton West Candidate Condemns Posie Parker |url= https://waikatoindependent.co.nz/2023/03/benjamin-doyle-declares-candidacy-for-hamilton-west/42456/ |last=Allen |first=Benji |date=2023-03-24 |work=Waikato Independent}} They then worked as a kaupapa Māori researcher and facilitator at the University of Waikato, and as a community organiser for artists and LGBTQIA+ communities. Until becoming an MP, they worked at Burnett Foundation Aotearoa.

Doyle is non-binary, takatāpui and disabled.{{Cite news|url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/531133/who-is-benjamin-doyle-who-the-greens-want-to-replace-darleen-tana|date=18 October 2024|title=Who is Benjamin Doyle, who the Greens want to replace Darleen Tana?|website=Radio New Zealand|access-date=24 October 2024}}{{cite web |url=https://www.teaonews.co.nz/2024/10/25/exclusive-meet-benjamin-doyle-the-green-partys-newest-mp/ |title=Exclusive: Meet Benjamin Doyle, the Green Party's newest MP |date=25 October 2024 |work=Te Ao Māori News |first1=Whatitiri |last1=Te Wake |first2=Isaac |last2=Gunson}} {{As of|2024}}, they live in Hamilton with their partner and child.

Political career

{{NZ parlbox

|term=54th

|start=2024

|end=pres.

|list=18

|party=Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand

|electorate=List

}}

=2023 general election=

Doyle spoke against allowing the anti-trans activist Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull (known as Posie Parker) into New Zealand, saying "Posie Parker should not be allowed into Aotearoa. In letting her enter, the minister has chosen to allow hateful anti-trans rhetoric into Aotearoa. That is unacceptable."

Doyle contested the {{NZ electorate link|Hamilton West}} electorate in the {{NZ election link|2023}}.{{cite news |title=Green Party Announces Benjamin Doyle As Candidate For Hamilton West|date=24 March 2023 |work=Scoop New Zealand|url= https://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA2303/S00204/green-party-announces-benjamin-doyle-as-candidate-for-hamilton-west.htm}} They were 18th on the Green Party list.{{cite news | url= https://www.teaonews.co.nz/2023/05/20/green-party-candidate-list-includes-nine-maori/ | title=Green Party candidate list includes nine Māori |work=Te Ao News |date=20 May 2023}} Doyle came third in the Hamilton West electorate with 3,230 votes.{{cite web |title=Hamilton West - Official Result |url=https://archive.electionresults.govt.nz/electionresults_2023/electorate-details-13.html |access-date=18 November 2024}} The Green Party won 12 list seats in the election, and therefore Doyle was not elected at 18th on the party list.{{cite web |title=2023 General Election - Official Result |url=https://electionresults.govt.nz/electionresults_2023/successful-candidates.html |access-date=18 November 2024}}

=First term, 2024–present=

Following the removal of Darleen Tana as a List MP in October 2024, Doyle was declared elected on 22 October 2024.{{cite web |url= https://gazette.govt.nz/notice/id/2024-au5458 |title=Declaration by Electoral Commission That Benjamin Cody Doyle is Elected a Member of Parliament |work=New Zealand Gazette |date=22 October 2024 |access-date=23 October 2024 |first=Kristina |last=Temel}} They said about Tana's removal:

{{blockquote|I made a really intentional decision about not getting involved in that because I was aware of the fact that I was implicated in it. But if I was seen to be involved in that process, it would be perceived as biased and it would be perceived as having motivations.}}

Doyle is the first non-binary member of New Zealand's parliament. In their first term, they are a member of the Māori Affairs committee and the Green Party spokesperson for ACC, internal affairs, and takatāpui and rainbow communities, and associate spokesperson on Māori and early childhood education and sexual and reproductive health.{{cite |title=Doyle, Benjamin - New Zealand Parliament |page= |url=https://www.parliament.nz/en/mps-and-electorates/members-of-parliament/doyle-benjamin/ |access-date=2 April 2025}}

In early 2025, businessman and former New Zealand First member Rhys Williams launched a social media campaign targeting Doyle over a photo album Doyle had posted to their personal Instagram account, @biblebeltbussy, in 2023.{{cite news |last1=Vance |first1=Andrea |last2=Mitchell |first2=Charlie |date=9 April 2025 |title=Businessman behind toxic online Benjamin Doyle campaign |url=https://www.thepost.co.nz/politics/360646129/businessman-behind-toxic-online-benjamin-doyle-campaign |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250409025537/https://www.thepost.co.nz/politics/360646129/businessman-behind-toxic-online-benjamin-doyle-campaign |archive-date=9 April 2025 |access-date=10 April 2025 |work=The Post}} The album, captioned "bussy galore", garnered controversy over the inclusion of a photo of Doyle posing with his child. On 9 April, Doyle addressed a press conference where they explained that their social media posts did not have a sexual meaning, and that they had received "a significant number of threats to my life and the safety of my child and family."{{cite news |last1=Ensor |first1=Jamie |title=Green Party MP Benjamin Doyle admits political naivety in refusing to delete social media posts |url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/politics/green-party-mp-benjamin-doyle-speaks-to-media-following-return-to-parliament/LLAWUKW3TNDMHOVRTJD5M3EZF4/ |access-date=10 April 2025 |work=The New Zealand Herald |date=9 April 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250410215309/https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/politics/green-party-mp-benjamin-doyle-speaks-to-media-following-return-to-parliament/LLAWUKW3TNDMHOVRTJD5M3EZF4/ |archive-date=10 April 2025 |url-status=live}}