March 25, 2013
Race commissioner needs to inspire Pakeha
Former Race Relations Commissioner Gregory Fortuin says Dame Susan Devoy may be just the person to inspire Pakeha to tackle some of the fundamental issues of race and ethnicity in New Zealand.
Dame Susan's appointment has come under fire from Māori, media and others who say she has displayed no understanding of race relations issues and has not demonstrated the skills needed for the job.
Mr Fortuin says it is always a challenge to reach conservative Pakeha who are unwilling to accept not only Māori assertiveness but also the change to a more multi-ethnic society.
“You can't transform those people by either wagging the finger at them or by trying to embarrass or by shaming them. You have to inspire them to a position of change. I am pleased that one of their own has been appointed and that’s going be the job, not so much what Māori are doing and what’s the ethnic minority doing but I want to see how mainstream is going to respond to the race issues facing us,” he says.
Gregory Fortuin says the outgoing commissioner Joris de Bres has done a great job sorting out problems and fostering harmony.
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