Newly released census figures on the ethnic makeup of the New Zealand population have been put through a filter of political correctness, says National MP Annabel Young.

Ms Young says that in answer to a written question, the Minister of Statistics has now provided "the real population figures, not the so-called 'prioritised figures' initially released."

"Under the Statistics Department's priority system, anyone claiming a combined ethnicity was allocated to just one group in the census. The order of allocation was Maori first, followed by Pacific Island, Asian, 'Other' and European.

"What this has led to is a systematic overstatement of Maori and Pacific Island populations and an understatement of people of European descent. It hides the fact that New Zealand is made up of a true mix of culture and ethnicity.

"Depending on how people with combined ethnicity are counted, the Maori population can double or be halved. Using the Department's methodology, about 200,000 people of European descent simply disappear.

"This is a blatant example of the Statistics Department bowing to mad political correctness," says Annabel Young.

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