Scoop has an Ethical Paywall
Work smarter with a Pro licence Learn More
Parliament

Gordon Campbell | Parliament TV | Parliament Today | Video | Questions Of the Day | Search

 

Dunne Attacks Plan To Scrap Race Relations Office

United New Zealand leader, Hon Peter Dunne, has strongly attacked suggestions that the Race Relations Conciliator's office should be scrapped and its functions absorbed within the Human Rights Commission.

"This would be an extraordinarily backward step and a clear insult to New Zealand's ethnic communities."

"It would prove beyond all remaining doubt that this Government is interested only in biculturalism and has no real commitment to New Zealand becoming a genuine multicultural society."

"If the Government really believed that the functions of the Race Relations Conciliator could be best be carried out within the framework of the Human Rights Commission, rather than a separate office, then it would take the next logical step and abolish the Waitangi Tribunal as well and place its functions within the Human Rights Commission, but there is no suggestion that it likely to happen."

"This proposal makes clear the Government is far more interested in promoting a bi-cultural society than a genuinely inclusive multicultural country," Mr Dunne says.

Mr Dunne says that it seems whenever the Race Relations Office upsets politicians it is threatened with being scrapped.

"During the last Government, Mr Henare threatened to dump the office because he felt it was not sufficiently pro-Maori."

"Now less than a week after the Race Relations Conciliator upset the Prime Minister by criticising the Government's plans to include Treaty of Waitangi clauses in social legislation, we have these reports of the latest moves to scuttle the office."

"The Race Relations Conciliator's main fault appears to be that he is being too successful in promoting multicultural New Zealand in these politically correct times," Mr Dunne says.

Ends


Advertisement - scroll to continue reading

Are you getting our free newsletter?

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.

© Scoop Media

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading
 
 
 
Parliament Headlines | Politics Headlines | Regional Headlines


Gordon Campbell: On The US Opposition To Mortgage Interest Deductibility For Landlords


Should landlords be able to deduct the interest on the loans they take out to bankroll their property speculation? The US Senate Budget Committee and Bloomberg News don't think this is a good idea, for reasons set out below. Regardless, our coalition government has been burning through a ton of political capital by giving landlords a huge $2.9 billion tax break via interest deductibility, while still preaching the need for austerity to the disabled, and to everyone else...
More


 
 

Government: Concerns Conveyed To China Over Cyber Activity
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has confirmed New Zealand’s concerns about cyber activity have been conveyed directly to the Chinese Government. “The Prime Minister and Minister Collins have expressed concerns today about malicious cyber activity... More

ALSO:


Government: GDP Decline Reinforces Government’s Fiscal Plan

Declining GDP for the December quarter reinforces the importance of restoring fiscal discipline to public spending and driving more economic growth, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says... More

ALSO:


Government: Humanitarian Support For Gaza & West Bank

Winston Peters has announced NZ is providing a further $5M to respond to the extreme humanitarian need in Gaza and the West Bank. “The impact of the Israel-Hamas conflict on civilians is absolutely appalling," he said... More


Government: New High Court Judge Appointed

Judith Collins has announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister Jason Scott McHerron as a High Court Judge. Justice McHerron graduated from the University of Otago with a BA in English Literature in 1994 and an LLB in 1996... More

 
 
 
 
 
 

LATEST HEADLINES

  • PARLIAMENT
  • POLITICS
  • REGIONAL
 
 

InfoPages News Channels


 
 
 
 

Join Our Free Newsletter

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.