7 October 2001

Peters Slams Call For Separate Maori Justice System As Just More Tariana Turia Psycho-Babble

The Rt Hon Winston Peters MP, Leader of New Zealand First, today slammed Tariana Turia’s call for a separate Maori Justice System as just more psycho-babble that showed how out of touch Labour is with New Zealanders – both Maori and European.

“The people I speak to as I travel throughout the country consistently say they want Maori and European New Zealanders to be working together as one country – not operating under two different justice systems, two different laws. They want their differences celebrated not used a means of increasing racial tensions and national disunity which only serves the extremists agendas of radicals like Tariana Turia.

“And as for Ms Turia’s comments about the unfair portrayal of Maori crimes against children, as opposed to crimes committed by Europeans, there can be no denying the facts - for years now Maori have been represented in all of the worst social and economic statistics – including the rates of criminal offending. As Associate Minister of Maori Affairs, Ms Turia should be looking at means of addressing these appalling statistics instead of attempting to make excuses for the offenders,” said Mr Peters.

Mr Peters called on the Prime Minister to do what she should have done months ago and sack Ms Turia as Associate Maori Affairs Minister for her consistently extremist statements which are only heightening racial tensions within New Zealand.

“If Ms Clark does not sack Ms Turia the public of New Zealand can only assume that the Labour Government supports her separatist views. And what the Prime Minister needs to understand is that will cost her and her Party not just with European voters but also in the Maori Seats which Labour is so desperate to cling on to. If Ms Clark does not understand that then she clearly understands nothing about Maori. The majority of Maori want to live and work alongside European New Zealanders under one law – clearly not a view that is represented by the Associate Maori Affairs Minister.

“At the end of a week when the Government has established a separatist electoral system for Environment Bay of Plenty this latest outburst shows how divided the Coalition Government internally really is,” said Mr Peters.

ENDS

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