MANA CO-VICE PRESIDENT JOHN MINTO

MANA asks Susan Devoy to defend Maori and Pasifika children from racist attack

Thursday 30th May 2013

MANA is calling for Race Relations Commissioner Susan Devoy to step into the row over a nasty, racist cartoon which appeared in the Marlborough Express yesterday.

MANA’s Co-Vice President John Minto says the cartoon of overweight Polynesian students – one with what appears to be ethnic tattoos – using the breakfast in schools programme as a scam to save money for smokes, alcohol and the pokies, plays to the lazy racism and deep bigotry of many well-off Pakeha.

“Most sickeningly it’s an attack on the most vulnerable children in New Zealand who don’t have the opportunity to fight back and defend themselves”.

“It’s not just insensitive to the 270,000 New Zealand kids growing up in poverty but it’s inviting the public to scorn them as devious parasites”.

“We are pleased the cartoon is out there because these views are best dealt with out in the open rather than festering in private and this is where the Race Relations Commissioner comes in”.“We have written to her asking her to step in quickly to defend New Zealand Maori and Pacifika children and hold the newspaper to account for this attack on our kids”.

ENDS

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