The Māori Party dismisses Act Party claims of race-based privilege
Māori Party Co-leader Te Ururoa Flavell says the Act leader’s speech on race-based favouritism is divisive and designed
to whip up anti-Māori sentiment.
Act Party Leader Jamie Whyte has said that what he calls ‘race-based favouritism’ in education leads to Māori students
“having an easy ride” and becoming less likely to make the most of their potential. He also compared Māori of today to
the Aristocracy of France prior to the French revolution.
Mr Flavell says “We’ve heard all this rhetoric before. Our nation has come leaps and bounds over the last ten years in
improving race relations and addressing the disparities between Māori and Pākehā so it’s sad that political parties feel
the need to attract some attention by making outlandish claims.”
Mr Flavell says the Māori Party has worked hard with the National-led Government to close the inequities between Māori
and Pākehā.
“We’ve had to unpick almost two centuries of colonisation in this country. We like to think most fair-minded New
Zealanders have recognised the need for change and recognition of tangata whenua.”
ENDS.