Human rights commission

Press, 15 May 1981, Page 12

Human rights commission

Sir,— It is proposed that the laws on discrimination be altered so that a prospective employer may publicly advertise that only Christians (or Muslims, or Hindus, or Jews, or Ratanas, or athiists, etc.) will be considered for a position. Will Mr Eric Sides (or Mr R. Muldoon) please urgently explain how possibilities such as the following are to be avoided: (1) Discrimination against Jews by listing all major religions except Judaism. (2) Discrimination against most Indians and Pakistanis by excluding Muslims and Hindus. (3) Discrimination against Ratanas by specifying that only Anglicans, Presbyterians and Roman Catholics need apply. (4) Discrimination against Irish Catholics by specifying Protestantism. (5) Discrimination against an individual known to be interested in the job bv ensuring that his religion is not specified. Many other possibilities came to mind and especially in small communities where perhaps there are only two religions practised the potential for polarisation of the population is alarming.—Your. l etc. p. j. Mcelroy. May 13, 1981. Sir,—ln the case of the trespassing picketers the law had to be rigorously applied. In the case of Mr Sides the law was also applied and seen to be applied. But because Mr Sides is a Christian businessman with thousands of sympathetic fellow Christians to support his cause our generous Mr Muldoon is going to bring the mighty weight of Government caucus to bear on a possible change of law to save Mr Sides, fellow Christians and businessmen the embarrassment of having to conform to a law based on the “Universal Declaration of Human Rights.” What a marvellously flexible thing New Zealand law can be 'in election year when thousands of Christian votes are at stake. One wonders if a modification of law would be forthcoming for an unemployed Polynesian overstayer obviously in real need of the sympathetic application of charity within the true spirit of human rights.—Yours, etc., ARTHUR MAY. May 13, 1981.