Springbok Tour Protests "Good For Maori"

HART leader John Minto says the 1981 Springbok Tour protests helped to improve the situation for Maori in New Zealand.

Minto was appearing on Eye to Eye with Willie Jackson, on TV ONE on Saturday morning. The programme was looking back at the 1981 tour and its impact on New Zealand. It is 25 years this month since the Springbok team arrived here to play.

Minto, who became one of the main faces of the protest movement in 1981, said:

“I think one of the critical things that happened as a result of that Tour and the protests, had in fact a bigger effect within New Zealand than a lasting effect within South Africa. But what it did was things like the Waitangi Tribunal, up until then they could only look at issues which were new grievances, but after the Tour and that whole upwelling of debate and arguments about racism here, people started to realise you can’t protest against racism 6,000 miles away when it’s right here in your country… and a few years later the Tribunal was able to look at past grievances. There was a big movement in recognizing racism in our own country and giving Maori a place to stand in their own land.”

Eye To Eye with Willie Jackson will be repeated on TV ONE at 11pm on Tuesday.

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