Leaders defend ‘multicultural’ town
Queenstown community leaders have defended their ‘‘multicultural’’ town after a racist note was left on an Asian woman’s car.
Prue, who did not want her surname used, found the handwritten message on the front window of her car on Saturday. She had parked on a footpath next to the housing complex she lives in due to a shortage of spaces for residents and because there are no-parking lines on both sides of the street.
‘‘Stop parking on the footpath. Only an Asian woman would be so stupid. You live in New Zealand. Act like a Kiwi. We have children who use the footpath,’’ the note read.
Otago-Lakes police area commander Inspector Olaf Jensen said it was an isolated incident.
‘‘Queenstown is a very multicultural society. As far as racist complaints go – we don’t get them.’’
There had been earlier incidents including the ‘‘sporadic’’ distribution of posters publicising a far-right nationalist group.
About five years ago there was a spate of drivers taking action against tourist drivers, such as removing their keys. ‘‘We haven’t had reports of that attitude towards driver behaviour recently,’’ he said.
Queenstown Mayor Jim Boult said he was appalled by the note. ‘‘There’s no place for racism in our community or in New Zealand,’’ he said.
‘‘Like every community we have the odd idiot who makes comments like that from time to time.
‘‘I suggest they go and have a hard look at themselves.’’
The only time he had been aware of racist comments in the community was recently when there had been high-profile rental car crashes involving tourist drivers and ‘‘some extreme views around coronavirus’’.
Japanese woman Kazumio Yamaguchi has lived in Queenstown for 13 years and said she had not experienced any obvious racism.
‘‘Actually, it’s quite comfortable. We see lots of different nationalities in Queenstown.’’
British-born Chinese woman Suki Lee said she had never experienced racism in the seven years she lived in Queenstown and was surprised by the note. ‘‘I’ve heard worse in England,’’ she said.
Police said residents they spoke to were aware of the note but no one could provide any leads.