You probably remember her from the early 2000s. Elizabeth Carol Ann Gunn—known to everyone simply as Liz Gunn—was once the polished face of New Zealand breakfast television. She sat next to Mike Hosking. She was the woman who launched Good Morning. Fast forward to today, and the conversation around her has shifted from "what happened to her career?" to "what happened to her politics?"
Honestly, it's a wild ride.
The story of Liz Gunn isn't just a biography. It’s a case study in how a mainstream media darling can transform into a lightning rod for controversy, legal battles, and fringe political movements. Whether you view her as a brave truth-teller or a conspiracy theorist, her impact on the Kiwi social landscape is undeniable.
The Breakfast TV Exit Heard 'Round the World
Let’s go back to 2001. Liz Gunn was a household name. Then, in the middle of a live broadcast, she quit. Just like that. No long goodbye tour, no transition period. It was abrupt, surprising, and set the stage for her "unpredictable" reputation.
For years, she stayed mostly out of the spotlight. She lived in Australia, did some work for RNZ, and basically lived a quiet life. But the 2020 pandemic changed everything for her. Like a lot of people, she found herself at odds with the government's response. Unlike a lot of people, she had a massive platform and the professional broadcasting skills to weaponize her dissent.
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Why Liz Gunn and "NZ Loyal" Still Matter in 2026
If you’re looking for where she is now, the "NZ Loyal" chapter is the most critical. Founded in mid-2023, the party was built on a platform of total disruption. We're talking about leaving the UN, ending the Reserve Bank's independence, and implementing a 1% transaction tax to replace the entire IRD.
It was ambitious. Some said it was unworkable.
In the 2023 election, the party managed about 1.2% of the vote. Not enough to get into Parliament, but enough to make the mainstream parties sweat a little about the "fringe" vote. However, the party's collapse was almost as fast as its rise. By July 2024, the party’s registration was canceled.
The internal drama was intense. Accusations of "theft" and "sabotage" flew back and forth between Gunn and other party figures like Kelvyn Alp. By late 2025, a new board was trying to rebuild the party name, but Liz had moved on to trademarking the logo for herself. It’s a messy legal tangle that shows no signs of slowing down as we head further into 2026.
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The Auckland Airport Incident: What Really Happened?
Most of the Google searches for Elizabeth Carol Ann Gunn lately focus on a specific date: February 25, 2023. This was the Auckland Airport confrontation.
Gunn was there to film an unvaccinated family arriving from Tokelau. Things got heated with an airport worker named Anna Kolodeznaya. There was a scuffle. Gunn was arrested and charged with assault, trespass, and resisting arrest.
The Legal Rollercoaster
- The First Round: She was found guilty of assault in May 2024. The judge called her behavior "arrogant" and "offensive."
- The Appeal: This is where it gets interesting for her supporters. In February 2025, Justice Mary Peters of the High Court overturned the conviction.
- The Result: The judge ruled that the touch was "fleeting" and intended only to get the worker's attention. She called it a "miscarriage of justice" and set the conviction aside.
This win was a massive fuel injection for Gunn’s narrative. For her, it wasn't just a legal win; it was "proof" of a system trying to silence her.
What People Often Get Wrong
There's a lot of misinformation out there. Some people confuse her with Elizabeth Catherine Gunn, the famous 19th-century pediatrician who started health camps in New Zealand. They are definitely not the same person.
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Others think she was "canceled" by the media. In reality, her departure from mainstream TV was largely her own choice until her views became so extreme that commercial outlets couldn't touch her. She didn't lose her voice; she just moved it to Telegram, Rumble, and local community halls.
Actionable Insights: Navigating the Liz Gunn Rabbit Hole
If you're following the Liz Gunn saga or interested in the "anti-establishment" movement in New Zealand, here is what you need to keep in mind:
- Check the Legal Status: If you hear she's a "convicted criminal," that's factually incorrect as of 2025. Her record was cleared by the High Court.
- Watch the Trademarks: She is currently in a battle for the "NZ Loyal" brand. This will dictate whether she runs again or if the party moves on without her.
- Verify the Sources: Much of her current "news" comes from her own social media channels. Always cross-reference her claims about government policy with the actual legislation on the New Zealand Parliament website.
- Understand the Strategy: Gunn uses "objective morality" as a cornerstone of her speeches. If you're debating her policies, start there. It's her primary lens for everything from education to the economy.
The 2026 political landscape in New Zealand still feels the ripples of the 1.2% she captured. Even without a registered party, her influence on a specific, vocal segment of the population remains a force that the "traditional" political class hasn't quite figured out how to handle.