Taxpayer foots bill for Brash separatism

The Green Party has accused Don Brash and the National Party of billing the New Zealand taxpayer for its advertising campaign to promote racial separatism.

"It's one thing for Don Brash to make a speech displaying his arrogance, ignorance and irresponsibility on race relations," said Green Co-leader Rod Donald. "It's an entirely different matter for the National Party to use taxpayers' funds to promote its separatist agenda.

"The irony will not be lost on New Zealanders that, on one hand, Brash is claiming that the taxpayer is subsidising Maori while, on the other hand, National's newspaper advertising campaign is 100 per cent funded by the taxpayer.

"Brash should have the courage of his convictions and pay for the ads out of his own party coffers.

"If Dr Brash listened to Maori instead of trying to goad them he could be part of the dialogue that is needed to resolve the injustices of the past and explore the way forward.

"Instead, National's Maori-bashing headline grab is a throwback to the discredited politics of envy and greed. It's disappointing that, having lost its novelty value, National now has to buy its media coverage at the expense of the New Zealand taxpayer," said Mr Donald.

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