29th September 1999

For immediate release

Mauri Pacific Leader, Hon Tau Henare, has called on all Maori, Pacific Island and ethnic minority groups to trash INL-owned suburban newspapers from their letterboxes.

Mr Henare said suburban newspapers was dictating the range of political parties its readers would select from, rather than presenting all options democratically.

"The Editor in Chief of Suburban Newspapers, Mr Pat Booth has shut out smaller parties from their election coverage claiming that "..the far from representative mini-party .. cannot expect and we WILL NOT give them equal coverage with those groups and individuals who can and will be the new power brokers."

"Mr Booth has determined single handedly who Aucklanders should vote for, sanitising their choices to what he believes is right for them. This I know better paternalism must end.

"I would like to remind Mr Booth that it is Maori and Pacific Island people who are marginalised by large political parties and that is why smaller parties have been formed to give them a voice.

"Mr Booth has decided that a larger portion of their political coverage will be given to parties like Labour, whose deputy- leader referred to Auckland as " a great crushing weight on the rest of New Zealand.

"His actions and those of the shareholders of suburban newspapers is oppressive and hardly a statement of fairness and objectivity you'd expect from the illustrious fourth estate and has shown up his personal distaste and resentment of Maori holding the balance of power," said Mr Henare.

ENDS

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