Pansy Wong National Ethnic Affairs Spokesperson

5 February 2001

Ethnic Community - the silent critics speak up

On the eve of Waitangi day the focus is on the Crown's decision not to attend celebrations at Waitangi. Instead, the Prime Minister will be sheltered by the ever-courteous ethnic community, National's Ethnic Affairs spokesperson Pansy Wong said today.

"The Prime Minister knows that her Waitangi Day visits to the 'multi-cultural' style celebrations in Auckland and Wellington will shield her from confronting vocal critics of this Government.

"However, the typically silent ethnic community have been stirred by the Government's plans to abolish the independent Race Relations Office.

"Ethnic community members have been working quietly behind the scenes, voicing their protest through signing over 1100 submissions against the proposal.

"Associate Justice Minister Margaret Wilson last year indicated her preference to do away with the independent status of the Race Relation Office and instead swallow it up as part of a new human rights body, as recommended in the discussion Paper 'Revaluation of the Human Rights Protections in New Zealand'.

"The question now will be whether the Government continues to take advantage of the usually silent critics or will they listen to the growing ethnic community?" Mrs Wong said.

Ends

© Scoop Media

Gordon Campbell: On the Sony cyber attack

Given the layers of meta-irony involved, the saga of the Sony cyber attack seemed at the outset more like a snarky European art film than a popcorn entry at the multiplex.

Yet now with (a) President Barack Obama weighing in on the side of artistic freedom and calling for the US to make a ‘proportionate response’quickly followed by (b) North Korea’s entire Internet service going down, and with both these events being followed by (c) Sony deciding to backtrack and release The Interview film that had made it a target for the dastardly North Koreans in the first place, then ay caramba…the whole world will now be watching how this affair pans out. More>>