Jones hits back after Waitangi satire pulled
Sir Bob Jones says he “shall not bother” to write for the National Business Review after a Waitangi Day column criticised as offensive was removed by the publisher.
Jones’ piece, which he wrote for the NBR magazine, suggested a public holiday “where Maori bring us breakfast in bed or weed our gardens, wash and polish our cars and so on”.
“We should introduce a new public holiday, Maori Gratitude Day, in place of the much disdained Waitangi Day.”
He also wrote that “had it not been for migrants, mainly Brits, not a single Maori alive today” would exist.
The column was deemed “inappropriate” by NBR after it aroused criticism.
Jones told the Herald yesterday he had been “inundated with letters complaining about this media beatup”. He said the column was made up of “a factual situation” and “a satirical suggestion”.
“I wrote for NBR to help the proprietor but shall not bother any more, having heaps of better things to do with my time,” he said.
“NBR gladly accepted it, then, after idiotic complaints which would have Billy T James spinning in his grave, decided it was inappropriate. That’s a relative term inviting the obvious question, inappropriate to what?”
Historian Professor Paul Moon said he wasn’t offended and understood it to be satire.
“I might be wrong but I absolutely interpreted it as a form of satire, I don’t think he was at all serious. It’s just satire, he’s done it before.
“It goes back to Roman times, you make a point about something or highlight aspects of it by coming up with something so ridiculous that people revisit everything and I don’t think that he was at all serious.”
He said the more disturbing part was the fact NBR published it.
“They obviously thought it was okay to publish and it went through whatever checks and balances they have and then they withdraw it because some people were offended.”
NBR did not respond to requests for comment.
The Human Rights Commission was unimpressed by Jones’ column and was pleased to see it deleted.
“Sir Bob Jones and those outlets who choose to publish this kind of rhetoric need to be prepared for the public backlash and condemnation they provoke and deserve,” a spokeswoman said.