Labour is admitting it was inappropriate for a post depicting Workplace Relations Minister Brooke van Velden as a Nazi to be shared by one of the party’s Facebook accounts.

It follows widespread condemnation of the Government’s decision to change pay equity legislation that governing parties believe has been used by the Opposition to spread misinformation.

The post was shared by the Labour Whangaparāoa page on Wednesday.

It showed a fake image of van Velden wearing a military uniform next to a Nazi banner.

The post described van Velden as “Gauleiter”, a term for leaders within the Nazi Party. It also stated she was the “Minister for Public Enlightenment and Readjustment”, likely a reference to Germany’s Ministry of Public Enlightenment and Propaganda while under Nazi rule.

The original post was made after the Government changed thresholds that allow for pay equity claims to be made by female-dominated workforces, reform that van Velden is leading.

Labour general secretary Rob Salmond, who deemed the image “inappropriate”, said a leader in Labour’s Whangaparāoa volunteer team deleted the post on the same day it was posted.

“We agree with our local team’s decision to immediately remove the content, as the image was not appropriate.”

Workplace Relations Minister Brooke van Velden says she finds the post offensive.

Labour leader Chris Hipkins has been approached for comment.

Van Velden told the Herald the post showed Labour had “lost all perspective” and had resorted to “nasty personal attacks”.

She noted the post was particularly offensive given her grandfather had lived under Nazi occupation. In several speeches in the House, van Velden had referenced the atrocities witnessed by her ancestors living in Nazi-occupied Holland.

In a statement, van Velden reinforced the Government was not reducing anyone’s pay and was not removing equal pay legislation, which ensured women were not paid less than a man for the same job.

“This is not changing, this Government is committed to women.

“We have improved the pay equity system to give greater confidence in genuine equity issues and correctly identify them so that we have a robust, workable and sustainable system for all New Zealanders.”

Van Velden announced the legislative changes on Tuesday last week, stating they would be rushed through the House under urgency as she argued the pay equity claim process needed adjusting so current claims were judged consistently.

The 33 claims currently being progressed would have to restart under the new framework.

The announcement prompted a snap protest followed by several more on Friday as hundreds opposed the Government tightening the claim criteria and changing the legislation without consultation.

Many accused van Velden and Finance Minister Nicola Willis of making the changes to improve this year’s Budget. The Government was set to save billions as a result of the reform.

Amid the condemnation from Opposition parties and unions, Government MPs claimed to have fielded questions from members of the public concerned the changes would impact equal pay arrangements.

Adam Pearse is the Deputy Political Editor and part of the NZ Herald’s Press Gallery team based at Parliament in Wellington. He has worked for NZME since 2018, reporting for the Northern Advocate in Whangārei and the Herald in Auckland.