Board backs Maori stand

Press, 13 December 1989, Page 1

Board backs Maori stand

By

MICHAEL RENTOUL

A proposal that legislation creating local government Maori advisory committees be opposed as racist received unanimous support at a Fendalton-Waimairi Community Board meeting yesterday. Cr Pat Harrow’s motion was rejected last week by the Christchurch City Council’s cultural and social services committee. Yesterday’s decision means his recommendations will go to the council at its meeting on Monday. His stand was criticised last week by Cr Denis O’Rourke as one of "pure ignorance” and his recommendation that the council oppose the legislation as “an exercise in sweeping the matter under the carpet again.” Members at yesterday’s board meeting congratulated Cr Harrow for his courage in opposing the draft bill, now before Parliament. He received the support of the board chairman, Mr John Hanafin, who said committees should be funded by the taxpayer, not the ratepayer. The bill was being bulldozed into law and the public given little chance to comment, he said. Cr Harrow told yesterday’s meeting that the bill promoted a system of apartheid by funding one group of citizens (Maoris) at the expense of other ethnic groups, and by giving them a greater say in local government Cr Philip Carter said the Government seemed determined to create two classes in society. “It is time for New Zealand society to speak out against attempts to create a ‘them and us’ situation,” he said. His proposal for a petition opposing the bill was not taken up formally by the board. Cr Harrow said that among the ratepayers who had aproached him supporting his stand were Maoris who, he said, “felt embarrassed and sometimes harassed, in that they are treated more specially than their mates. They don’t want to be patronised,” he said in his submission to the cultural and social services committee last week. Mr Harrow’s recommendations are that: The council advise the Minister of Local Government, Dr Bassett, and the Officials Coordinating Committee on Local Government that the bill be “dropped as such legislation is not only a duplication of effort and waste of time but invidious in that it gives one ethnic group l a privileged position in what is supposed to be an equalopportunity and multi-Cultural society.” All community groups be made aware that they are entitled to convey their thoughts and concerns to the council through community boards and that the board welcome all approaches. The council make clear its intention to treat all citizens equally and fairly and that it believes that further legislation to promote this is not wanted.