MP’s ‘racist’ comments shock
An inflammatory press release from a southern MP highlighting ‘‘11,000’’ quarantinees from India, Pakistan and Korea destined for the far south has ethnic Kiwis fuming.
New Zealand Indian Central Association president Paul Patel believed it was clear that CluthaSouthland MP Hamish Walker’s focus on Asians – as opposed to other highly Covid-infected European-majority countries, such as the United Kingdom and
United States – was racist.
Patel said the National Party MP was likely politicking by stirring opposition to the Government by creating fear among his largely Pa¯keha¯ Southland electorate with his press release.
It was National leader Todd Muller’s inability to condemn Walker’s focus on these Asian countries as racist, or apologise, that bothered him most.
Muller said he had concerns about the letter but would not be drawn on whether he thought it was racist.
‘‘Leaders need to be accountable for their fellow MPs. They shouldn’t just keep them wrapped up and protect them,’’ Patel said.
Walker should retract his remarks and apologise, he added. ‘‘The apology should come from Walker and the National Party.’’
The MP’s press release also failed to mention the potential quarantinees were New Zealanders returning home, and the figure of 11,000 was also disputed.
‘‘It’s absolutely disgraceful the community hasn’t been consulted on this,’’ Walker’s release said.
Former race relations commissioner Gregory Fortuin described Walker’s comments as a ‘‘disgraceful dog-whistle akin to the racist views of Donald Trump, who banned people based on country of origin’’.
Fortuin also Muller’s ‘‘inability racist comments’’.
‘‘It’s time we strongly called out this bigoted behaviour when we have Kiwis returning from all quarters of the world, but we single out the people not represented on his party’s front bench.’’
The first Covid-19 infected condemned to call out people into New Zealand after an extended period of zero active cases were two Kiwi women travelling from Britain.
The UK had the most cases per capita in the world behind Belgium, and the US had the highest number of infections.
The issue first came to the fore on Thursday when Labour MP Megan Woods labelled Walker’s comments racist.
Walker defended the remarks, saying they weren’t racist – and his claims could be substantiated.
‘‘Calling me a racist is Labour’s default tactic when they are unable to defend their blatant failures,’’ he said.