Mt Parahaki name change is Political Correctness gone mad

Dr Muriel Newman Tuesday, 19 July 2005 Press Releases - Environment & Conservation

The Government’s decision to change the name of Whangarei’s Mount Parahaki to Mount Parihaka is political correctness gone mad, ACT Deputy Leader Dr Muriel Newman said today.

“I am appalled at the Minister of Land Information Pete Hodgson’s decision. There is no evidence anywhere in historical records to support the claims by a small group of local Maori that the mountain was wrongly named.

“The process by which the name change occurred borders on the corrupt; there was no consultation with residents who own the mountain, by either the Whangarei District Council or the New Zealand Geographic board; the name change was falsely advertised by the Geographic Board as a spelling error to minimise the controversy.

“There is no evidence in early Lands and Survey maps, historical records, or Maori Land Court documents to back up their claim that the mountain has the wrong name.

“Now the minister has supported a decision from a process which can only be described as misleading and deceitful.

“His decision is a slap in the face for the majority of residents in Whangarei.

“When I carried out an informal referendum on the issue, 94 percent of the 2,500 people who responded opposed the name change.

“The overwhelming majority of Whangarei residents did not want this name change to go ahead yet the whim of a small minority of Maori has overruled the wishes of the majority.

“This is a sinister warning of what New Zealanders can expect if Maori privilege continues to be pushed by this Labour Government,” Dr Newman said.

ENDS

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