White rights talks urged

Press, 7 September 1984, Page 5

White rights talks urged

PA Wellington A Mana Motuhake spokesman, Mr Amster Reedy, wants to invite the Rightwing National Workers’ Party on to a marae to talk about its banned white rights literature. Mr Reedy, a lecturer at Wellington Teachers’ College, said that the police should not have seized the pamphlets but should have allowed people to make up their own minds about them. A meeting’ on a marae would be the “honourable” and “democratic” way of doing things, he said. The seizing of the pamphlets in Auckland on Tues-

day was supported by the Race Relations Conciliator, Mr Hiwi Tauroa. Mr Reedy said he had used a copy of the National Workers’ Party pamphlet while campaigning for the Southern Maori seat during the election, to show people the sort of society that could develop if Maori people were not given a share in the decision-mak-ing. He said that if the views expressed were held by only a tiny minority there was no reason to fear them. However, he believed the group was openly expressing views held by many others.