The government’s proposal to scrap the Office of Race Relations Commissioner is attracting huge opposition from minority groups and ethnic organisations.
The National government introduced to Parliament last year the’ Human Rights Amendment Bill’ to do away with this chair and reallocate duties of the Human Rights Commissioner.
Labour MP Dr Rajen Prasad (and former Race Relations Conciliator) told Radio Tarana the office of the Race Relations Commissioner should be left alone and questioned the need for the amendment (See story on front page).
“There have been no calls, reports or recommendations anywhere for its scrapping and mere economic reason is no justification for such a drastic and unpopular move,” he said.
Auckland Council Ethnic Peoples Advisory Panel acting chair Rev Amail Habib said there would be no support to abolish the title.
Post marginalised
He said that despite assurances that the work of the office would continue, the Panel strongly believed that abolishing the title minimised the impact that racism and discrimination had on New Zealand.
He said the removal of a named title would further marginalise and make invisible those communities most often affected by the consequences of racism and discrimination.
“In fact, the Panel advocates revision of the mandate of the Race Relations Office so that complaints of racism and discrimination are more readily investigated. It is also important to ensure that the criteria for evaluating complaints do not favour the perpetrator of racist and discriminatory practices,” he said.
The Panel would also like to see the Office making binding judgments on the breaches of human rights affected by racism and discrimination.
No rationale
The Waitakere Ethnic Board (WEB) expressed similar sentiments in a media statement, agreeing with Dr Prasad that they were unaware of any reports or recommendations for such a drastic and unpopular move.
WEB concurred with the Panel’s proposal for the position to get back its teeth and prosecution powers it lost in 2002 when it merged with the Human Rights Commission.
The members saw its removal as an injustice and a poorly thought out policy. “WEB suspects that this move may be due to power play where all the powers are now to be concentrated in the Human Rights Commission with the Race Relations portfolio watered down. It suspects some strong views and statements from the Race Relations Commissioner casting the government and the ruling elite in a negative light may be one of the reasons to punish this office.”
The Board called on all ethnic organisations, together with all Pacific, Maori, ethnic and ‘reasonable Parliamentarians’ to oppose this unexplained move to dilute this office.
The Waitakere Indian Association (WIA) also opposed the move, saying that it had a close working relation with the current chair Joris De Bres.
“The Race Relations Commissioner had been a regular speaker at our Holi Festivals, which encouraged diversity and multiculturalism. As Race Relations Day falls in March and coincides with Holi, this festival also encompasses Race Relations Day, “the statement said.
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