‘Maori Maid’ letter circulated

Press, 3 December 1987, Page 14

‘Maori Maid’ letter circulated

BRENDON BURNS,

By

political reporter A letter to a newspaper criticising Maori attitudes was distributed to the Parliamentary press gallery on Tuesday by the National member of Parliament for Hobson, Mr Ross Meurant The letter was signed “Maori Maid, Whangarei.” Its author claimed to be a Maori woman, aged 27, who returned to New Zealand six months ago

after seven years in Australia. In the letter last week to the “Northern Advocate,” the woman said that since her return, she had been sickened by what was happening to her people. “Everywhere I turn I see dirty, arrogant members of my race sounding off about everything under the sun,” she said.

She urged the news media to stop putting “radical, stirring Maoris on television.”

“Why did the meetings of the Mongrel Mob and the Black Power gangs have to be on television? I certainly didn’t want to see the great unwashed and uncouth on my screen.” The woman said that many Maoris were ashamed by the “constant bleating” of some of their race.

“Maori people swell dole queues and prisons. We have no pride left.” She said that many Maoris did not stay long enough at school to get

a good education and were forced to apply for menial jobs. “They turn up for jobs with hair filthy and clothes worse and when they are turned down, it is not because they are filthy and useless but the old cry: ‘lt is because Fm Maori.’ ” The woman said that she wished she could have signed her letter, “but a burnt-out car I can do without”, Mr Meurant said he believed the letter to be genuine.

He said he knew many Maoris felt the same way but he was pleased this “girl” had actually had the courage to state such views. “It takes the heat off me a bit — no pun intended.” Mr Meuranfs car was firebombed in the garage of his Auckland home after his controversial speech suggesting some Maori radicals were prepared to use force to overthrow the Government