Press Release

MANA Candidate for Ikaroa Rawhiti Te Hamua Nikora

Friday May 31st 2013

Devoy Should Resign

“Today I call upon Dame Susan Devoy to resign formally from the post of Race Relations Commissioner” says MANA Candidate for Ikaroa-Rawhiti, Te Hamua Nikora.

“It’s a case of three strikes and you’re out. First she has a crack at Maori protesting on Waitangi Day, then she refuses to get involved with one of our wahine being discriminated by our national airline because she has a ta moko, and then she tells us that the cartoons drawn by Al Nisbet aren’t racist. Devoy is way out of touch when it comes to race relations in this country”.

“Every Maori I have spoken to on the portrayal of Maori as smokers, alcoholics and gambling addicts, who are trying to get a free meal under the Kickstart programme, believe the cartoons were racist. Devoy should have spoken with the Maori community first before determining whether or not the cartoons were racist. After all, Nisbet’s attacks were targeted towards Maori”.

“Devoy said that for the cartoons to be considered racist, they had to incite racial hatred or cause rioting in the streets. If the diatribe that took place on talkback radio isn’t inciting racial hatred then I don’t know what is. The national debate over these cartoons has taken race relations back to when “Hori with the Half Gallon Jar” was bedtime reading for the rednecks”.

“I strongly urge Devoy to think again about whether or not Nisbet’s cartoons were racist. Then again, if her past actions are anything to go by, maybe she should just do Maori a favour and resign”.

ENDS

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