Maori ad. seen as a ‘bad joke’

Press, 13 February 1988, Page 34

Maori ad. seen as a ‘bad joke’

PA Wellington Maori language job advertisements in the Public Service official circular are not discriminatory,! the State Services Commission says. An S.S.C. spokeman, Mr Roger Anderson, was commenting on a Labour Department Maori perspectives unit advertisement in the January 27 issue of the circular which is printed solely in Maori and ends with the phrase, “No English translation to be published.” A public servant had complained to a Wellington newspaper, the "Evening Post,” that the advertisement was a “bad joke” as the intention of the circular was to inform public servants.

Mr Anderson said that Maori advertisements were normally referred to the Internal Affairs Department for expert translations and to ensure they were suitable for publication.

He said they could not be used as a form of racial discrimination and the commission would be very concerned at such a development. Even if a job required fluency in Maori, suitably qualified pakehas would have to be considered alongside Maori applicants An officer in the Maori perspectives unit said its role was to create a better understanding of the needs of Maori people and to increase the understanding by Maori people of the department. The advertisement for executive officers and an administrator had drawn at least 27 applications, some of them from pakehas.