April 05, 2024
Watered down racism plan not on
The Human Rights Commission is concerned Māori members have quit a working party developing the National Action Plan Against Racism.
The plan was recommended by both the United Nations human rights body and the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the Christchurch Terrorist Attacks.
The National Iwi Chairs Forum says its tangata whenua caucus will no longer participate because the Government wants to change the plan to reduce the focus on institutional racism and colonial racism against Māori.
Human RIghts Commission Māori co-leader Julia Whaipooti says the plan is needed to give clear direction to government on what it can do to tackle racism.
She says 93 percent of Māori say they experience racism daily, so there is no plan without Māori.
“You cannot have an anti racist plan and not include Māori. To do that is incompetent. You can’t cherry pick anti racism. There is no anti racist plan without including Māori in that,” Ms Whaipooti says.