The home of Te Pāti Māori candidate Hana-Rāwhiti Maipi-Clarke was not the target of "racially motivated" attacks, according to the police.
However, Detective Inspector Darrell Harpur said a person was issued with a trespass notice today after entering Maipi-Clarke's home and being asked to leave.
Te Pāti Māori Party president John Tamihere said the person involved was "an elderly Pākehā man" who was a well-known advocate and campaigner for the National Party, and the incident was politically motivated.
However, National has released a statement, admitting that while the man who was trespassed was a National Party member, he simply went to Maipi-Clarke's home to offer congratulations for recent high polling numbers.
"The individual was invited inside but she was not available so they returned home. Another person from the home then went to the party member’s home and asked for their name and phone number so he could update them on Maipi-Clarke’s campaign," the statement reads.
"This afternoon, this individual has been issued a trespass notice and is bemused and disappointed by the whole situation."
It comes after Maipi-Clarke, 21, has spoken out about a number of incidents at her home in the past two weeks — claiming her home was invaded and vandalised, with a threatening letter left behind.
Party president John Tamihere said race-baiting by National and ACT had empowered and emboldened this sort of behaviour, which he said was another in a string of attacks on Maipi-Clarke in the past week.
Police this afternoon released details of its investigation into the reported incidents on Maipi-Clarke's property.
"Police have established that an election hoarding was stolen from the property on September 25 but note this is in the context of several other hoardings in the area, from a range of political parties, being damaged or defaced," Harpur said.
"This incident has been incorrectly reported as a ram-raid — this is more correctly referred to as a theft. At this stage no further line of enquiry is available and this matter has been filed."
He said three other incidents were reported by residents of the property on September 25.
"Police have followed up on reports of a suspicious vehicle, however at this stage we do not believe this vehicle is linked to any intentions at the property.
"A report of an alleged burglary and receipt of a threatening note. These reports have been investigated and police have been unable to establish any criminality, although inquiries are ongoing," Harpur said.
"During the period in which the reports have been made, Police have visited the property on several occasions to investigate the reports and provide reassurance. Staff have offered crime prevention and safety advice to those occupants.
"Police do not believe that the incidents have been racially motivated or coordinated. While we acknowledge that the incidents in which people have come on to the property will have been unsettling, we do not believe these constitute a home-invasion style entry into the house."
He went on to say that police are focused on maintaining law and order over the election period so the right to freedom of expression is protected.
Last week, Maipi-Clarke's father Potaka Maipi said that there had been break-ins while the family was out and a threatening letter left in the mailbox.
"The first time we were shocked, the second time we thought 'what the hell is going on', by the fourth time we'd had enough," he said.
"We've spoken to the police, the police said this is the first time they've ever seen anything like it. We should have come to them earlier."
He believes the attacks are coming from those who are angry his daughter is standing up against poverty and racism.
"For a young woman to call that out, some people are finding it highly offensive, like 'how dare you challenge me?'"
Political parties respond
Labour and National both condemned such behaviour.
Chris Hipkins said that everyone should conduct themselves with a respect for democracy during the election campaign.
Assaulting candidates or threatening their safety "shows total contempt for the very principle of democracy", he said.
National Party leader Christopher Luxon said his party had also referred 'several incidents' to the police.
"The question is very clear to all New Zealanders and to all political parties that we should be respectful of each other."
ACT leader David Seymour has previously denounced race-baiting claims against his party and this evening called for Te Pāti Māori to apologise to victims of crime after the claims made by Maipi-Clarke.
"Police reports show that Te Pāti Māori has played fast and loose with the truth in their characterisation of an alleged home invasion," Seymour said.
"The police have confirmed there was no ‘home invasion’, there was no ‘ram raid’ and there was no racial motivation. They should apologise to all the genuine victims of serious crimes for making misleading criminal claims so they can play the victim.
"First there was zero evidence to their claims that race-baiting from political rivals caused the incident, now it has been confirmed the incident itself was not a ram raid or a home invasion at all. It instead sounds like they were the victim of an election hoarding theft, as have many other parties in the area.
"They have misled the people of New Zealand so they can smear their political rivals on the election campaign. This is politics at its lowest ebb."
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