Coastal Coalition says Maori Party has no moral authority to lead racial equality debate

The Coastal Coalition is dismissing claims being made by the Maori Party co-leader Tariana Turia that it is a fringe or racist organisation that her political party wants to lead a racial equality debate against.

“The Coastal Coalition is a grass roots movement of tens of thousands of New Zealanders from all walks of life, of all political persuasions, and of all races , who fundamentally believe in one law for all New Zealanders”, Coastal Coalition spokesman Dr Muriel Newman said today. "The Maori Party has fewer members than the Coastal Coalition and is itself a fringe and racist organisation that just happened to make it into Parliament."

"The Maori Party shares with the National Front and the Right Wing Resistance Movement the common belief that some races are superior to others and that other races are inferior to their own. The Maori Party has no moral authority to defend the rights to racial equality of Asian New Zealanders when everything it does and stands for aims to reduce all New Zealanders who are not of Maori descent to the status of second class citizens in our own country.

“It is ironic that accusations of racism are being hurled at us by the co-leader of a racial supremacist Parliamentary Party. Her actions are appalling and are clearly designed to intimidate and shut down the debate. But it is time that this debate about racism was held in the open."

“The vast majority of people want all New Zealanders to be treated equally under the law. It is those that support race-based privilege that are the racists in this country, not those of us who stand for one law for all.”

“Standing for equality is not racist. New Zealanders want to be free to openly discuss these issues without being threatened. The Coastal Coalition will continue to speak up about our commitment to return the foreshore and seabed to Crown ownership on behalf of all New Zealanders – in spite of what opposing vested interests like the Maori Party say."

“The Maori Party and John Key’s National Party crossed a line when they repealed Crown ownership of the foreshore and seabed in order to privatise the coast to corporate iwi. They had no mandate to introduce this law change and New Zealanders – both Maori and non-Maori – are overwhelmingly opposed. "

“The Coastal Coalition is united in our belief that the foreshore and seabed belongs to all New Zealanders equally and should remain in Crown ownership – not carved up along race-based lines," Dr Newman said.

ends

© Scoop Media