Racist incidents are giving Tauranga a bad name

Friday, 4 June 2021

Storm clouds have been brewing over Tauranga as ugly racist incidents tarnish the city's reputation.

OPINION: Is it possible for a city to be racist? Probably not, but Tauranga is giving it a fair crack.

Having grown up in Christchurch, where acne-faced skinheads used to roam the streets looking for victims of colour, I now find myself living in Tauranga, where a portion of the blue rinse brigade find it acceptable to boo and insult a woman giving a Māori welcome at a public meeting.

Recent headlines have brought shame on this city by the sea.

Kim Williams was addressing a crowd at the launch of the Tauranga Ratepayers Alliance – which includes a bunch of bitter ex-councillors who object to rates rises to keep the city from falling apart – when she had the temerity to do a short mihi, or welcome.

Tauranga may be beautiful, but it has its ugly side.

Māori Health Authority steering group member Dr Matire Harwood says she wants Māori whānau to feel valued through every step of the health system. (First published June 2021)

* Racist undertones in submissions on prospect of land being gifted back to Tauranga iwi

People shouted at her to “speak English” and “get off the stage”, according to reports of the meeting.

MC Peter Williams, not known as a champion of progressive politics, reprimanded the audience, saying they were 'exceedingly rude'.

Kim Williams later told media that most people at the meeting supported her, and only two or three hurled abuse.

As if that incident wasn’t alarming enough, the next news item to bring Tauranga into disrepute involved the arrest of a 44-year-old man in relation to a video posted on YouTube that incited violence, hate speech and looming death threats towards Māori people and culture.

I’m sorry, but are we living in Jim Crow America, or 21st Century Aotearoa?

Just this morning I picked up the local paper to see a story about a petition by a former Western Bay councillor to ''return democracy'' to New Zealanders who don't identify as Māori, following recent government initiatives such as Māori Wards and the Māori Health Authority.

More than 2500 people have signed it.

The petition is basically saying give the power back to whites. It couldn’t be more Trumpian if it tried.

How did it come to this? Tauranga is a beautiful city with a rich cultural history, but it seems to have been taken over by an army of white, privileged rednecks who have no tolerance at all for anyone or anything that doesn't look like them.

I am the husband of a Māori woman and father of a Māori daughter. I want my daughter to grow up in a place where Māori culture is encouraged and celebrated, not where she has to hide her identity away for fear of attracting ridicule and abuse.

When you see a wave of news coverage about this stuff, it’s easy to feel down about the place you live. I just have to keep reminding myself that these racists are a dying breed of dinosaur and the melting pot will sort them out in the end.

In the meantime, it’s for Pākehā like me to call these clowns out for the losers they are. They need to get woke, or shuffle off.