Kaipara’s mayor won’t change his stance on banning karakia from council conferences.
:quality(70):focal(527x323:537x333)/cloudfront-ap-southeast-2.images.arcpublishing.com/tvnz/3RIH3GLZO5ERNBFMHSV4ZEN2V4.jpg)
Craig Jepson interrupted councillor Pera Paniora a number of occasions this week when she tried to start out a hui in te reo Māori.
He has been referred to as culturally insensitive by some members of the general public.
But Jepson mentioned he dealt with the state of affairs accurately.
Councillors have been there to do enterprise and particular religions or cultures shouldn’t be included in conferences, he mentioned.
“I don’t have to include anything in the meetings. I don’t have to include Indian culture, Asian culture, any other culture or religion or non-religious group – or Nordic – I don’t have to give selections to anybody. We’re there to do the business, we don’t have to open it in any way.”
He was not insensitive, he mentioned.
“It’s not racist at all in my opinion, I’m not a racist person. I wanted to run a secular council, I’m quite happy to have all groups included.”
Jepson campaigned in opposition to Māori wards.
Pera Paniora (Te Roroa, Ngāti Whātua), who represents Te Moananui o Kaipara, mentioned she had obtained lots of of messages of assist this week.
But the mayor’s behaviour had been “disheartening”.
“He states that he wants everyone to be included and treated equally. But from where I’ve been spending the last couple of weeks, he’s not afforded the same opportunities to Māori and it comes across in such a way that makes you wonder, is there more to it?”
She mentioned there was “a lack of respect or courtesy, shown by the mayor, and a simple discussion with me beforehand would have gone a long way”.
More than 1 / 4 of individuals within the district whakapapa Māori and Paniora mentioned many have been feeling “like we have a leader who’s leading us, but Māori aren’t valued or included in that”.
She hoped the council might come to a compromise earlier than the following hui.
Race Relations Commissioner Meng Foon has mentioned he was shocked and disenchanted about what had occurred on the council assembly.
“It’s very important for councils and all organisations to create the right space to encourage Māori to honour the Treaty of Waitangi, to provide a space to express their culture and language,” Foon mentioned.
“I would encourage the leaders of Kaipara District Council to acknowledge that and create a safe environment for all people.”
rnz.co.nz
Kaipara mayor Craig Jepson unrepentant over karakia ban
Kaipara mayor Craig Jepson unrepentant over karakia ban
data with out going by us first, so we are able to present you the most recent and best information with out costing you a dime. The two of you could study the specifics of the information collectively, providing you with a leg up. We’ll get to the following step when slightly time has gone.
Our aim is to maintain you recent on all the latest information from across the globe by posting related articles on our web site, so that you could be at all times be one step forward. In this way, you may by no means fall behind the most recent developments in that information.
Kaipara mayor Craig Jepson unrepentant over karakia ban