New conciliator ‘ideal’—Mr Tauroa

Press, 15 January 1986, Page 23

New conciliator ‘ideal’—Mr Tauroa

PA Auckland The retiring Race Relations Conciliator, Mr Hiwi Tauroa, has defended his successor, Mr Walter Hirsch, against claims by the Mana Motuhake Party that he is unsuitable for the job. Mana Motuhake Party officials have called on the Government to revoke Mr Hirsch’s appointment in March because of his ignorance of Maori language and culture. But Mr Tauroa said that Mr Hirsch, who is of Jewish descent, was ideal for the job because he was bicultural, bilingual and understood discrimination. ~*< “T think it’s to

judge people before you even know what they can do,” he said. “You need to do a lot more than just learn a language to make a good conciliator.” Mr Tauroa said he experienced a similar protest when he took office three years ago because Maori people wanted Dr Peter Sharpies to be conciliator. Mr Tauroa, who hoped to meet Mr Hirsch for the first time this week, had heard from close friends that his successor was a “good man”. He hoped Mr Hirsch would follow up a claim last year that he would learn the Maori language as possible. "*■