Sir Bob had not read petition on knighthood
Sir Robert Jones has admitted he has never read the petition calling for his knighthood to be revoked that he claims defamed him.
The petition, which has more than 90,000 signatures, was started by filmmaker Renae Maihi after a column by Jones published in 2018.
In the column, Jones called for Waitangi Day to be replaced with Māori Gratitude Day, where Māori bring Pākehā breakfast in bed out of gratefulness for existing.
Jones, 80, was set to take the witness stand for cross-examination yesterday when he realised he had forgotten his hearing aid, causing an hour-long adjournment.
It could not be located but, once another hearing device was found, the cross-examination got under way again.
Jones was questioned by Maihi’s lawyer, Davey Salmon, as to whether he had read the petition in full.
“I’ve never read her petition, I admit that. All I know is that I was aware she was running a petition on the knighthood proposition, which is insulting. I formed the view that her motives were dishonest . . . I don’t have to read what she wrote.” Jones also claimed in the National
Business Review column that there are no full-blooded Māori left, and that, if it had not been for “Brits”, Māori would no longer exist.
When questioned by Salmon as to whether he knew that the notion of blood-quantum was “deeply controversial”, Jones said no.
“It’s ridiculous, I’ve never suggested that. Blood knows no racial division — Māori blood is the same as our blood. We’re talking about ancestry.”
It was at that point — and not for the first time — that Justice Thomas had to stop Jones and tell him “unless you want me to do this every five minutes, can you please just listen to the questions, and answer the questions”.
An expert witness for the defence is expected to take the stand to discuss the notion of blood quantum.
Jones accepted that “what’s upsetting for one person, might not be for another” when it was put to him by Salmon, but dismissed the possibility that Maihi may be upset at his views on race and Treaty issues.
“How much do we tolerate of ridiculous offence-taking?” Jones said.