Reverse racism claim denied

Press, 13 April 1989, Page 6

Reverse racism claim denied

PA Wellington The race relations conciliator, Mr Wally Hirsh, yesterday rejected comments that white New Zealanders were being discriminated against by the Race Relations Office and the Human Rights Commission. An Equal Opportunities Tribunal member, Mr Alister Grant, yesterday resigned from the tribunal, saying the Race Relations Office thought that “ordinary New Zealanders are wrong and brown-skinned people are right, irrespective of the facts.” Appearing on the television news programme “Holmes,” Mr Hirsh said that for Mr Grant to suggest that “if you’re brown you’re not an ordinary New Zealander” was very unusual and could be interpreted by some as a racist remark. Mr Hirsh also took exception to comments that convenient legal opinions were obtained in the “Kill a white and be a hero” controversy. He said it was a slur on the investigating and legal staff in the Race Relations Office and also on professional people who provided legal opinions. The Race Relations Office had to administer the Race Relations Act and was limited by the scope of the act. The office had jurisdiction only to deal with things that occurred in public places. “The office also has jurisdiction only to deal with five areas of discrimination — employment, accommodation and housing, access to public places, goods, and services. “Any complaint that is made has to be measured in terms of jurisdiction,” he said. Mr Hirsh agreed with Paul Holmes that it was this sort of remark that made the existence of the Race Relations Office necessary.