Aotearoa New Zealand’s chair of the Māori Council, Matthew Tūkākī, has revealed the degree of “horrific abuse” he has been facing in a Today FM radio discussion about the forthcoming Tauranga byelection in the city claimed to be a hotspot of white supremacy and racism.

He joined Lloyd Burr on Today’s Lloyd Burr Live programme to discuss the safety reasons why the opposition Te Pāti Māori will not contest the byelection.

The party says it is because they feel “too unsafe” in the area, reports Today FM.

They say racist leaflets and threats are common.

Tukaki defended Te Pati Māori’s decision, saying: “I think they’ve done the right thing.”

He said he hoped that New Zealand could address racism, or the Tauranga controversy could be an indicator of things to come with next year’s general election.

“As somebody who himself, who’s been on the back end of a significant amount of racist correspondence, emails, letters and messages from people who sadly reside in my former hometown of Tauranga, [Te Pati Māori] are absolutely justified,” Tūkākī said.

All New Zealanders ‘should be concerned’
“All Māori, all New Zealanders should be concerned.

“Not every person in the beautiful city of Tauranga is a racist or a white supremacist. I don’t think anyone’s alluding to that.

“What we do have is great concern for the activity that’s unfolding in that by-election.”

Presenter Burr asked Tūkākī about his first-hand experience with racism and hatred and supremacy.

“I get called n****r every single day in Facebook messages on fake profiles to my account. I had a six-page letter arrive at my home in Point Chevalier that was handwritten,” he told Today FM.

“He was emboldened enough so much to write his name, contact details and even sign the letter and the content. In that basically called me a black bastard. And I and any number of other things under the sun.

“I get messages calling me a dirty black bastard, you filthy gang mongrel. You this, you that.

‘It’s relentless’
“It’s relentless. It is absolutely relentless for the last couple of years, just because I choose to represent my people and pushed kaupapa that I know is going to change their lives for the better.”

Tūkākī told Today FM: “I don’t want [the abusers’] children to listen to this crap and then go to school and repeat it to little Māori kids or Pasifika kids or Asian kids — I’m tired.”

The byelection, for the seat left vacant by the resignation of former opposition National Party leader Simon Bridges, is on June 18. Tauranga is one of New Zealand’s most affluent and fastest growing cities with a population of more than 132,000.

Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz

Angry policemen, election officials and others involved in Papua New Guinea’s Moresby North-West byelection last month stormed into the Electoral Commission (PNGEC) headquarters this week demanding to be paid what they are owed.

They have been waiting since June 24 to be paid wages, allowances and fees for services provided.

They included policemen engaged in security operations, officers involved in the polling and counting, presiding officers and those who provided hire vehicles and catering services.

They forced their way into the headquarters compound at Hohola on Thursday demanding to be paid.

But they were told there was no money to pay them. Returning Officer for the byelection Desmond Timiyaso told them that the K3 million (NZ$1.3 million) allocated by the government for the exercise had all been used up.

“There are no funds to pay you. So you have to wait till we get more funds then we will pay you your dues,” Timiyaso said.

Welder Nene John who sealed the five containers containing the ballot boxes for the five wards said he was owed K3000.

‘I have five children’
“I sealed the containers that contained the ballot boxes to keep them safe. I was paid only K600 after I submitted my invoice for K1000,” he said.

“Then I was told to (open) the locks and seal so that the ballot boxes can be taken out for the counting. I submitted my invoice of K3000 and am still waiting to get paid.

“It is almost two months now. I have five children two of whom are in primary school.”

A policeman who asked not to be identified said he was supposed to be paid K4200 for his hours during the security operation.

“There were 15 of us engaged by the PNGEC and owed a total of K63,000 (for providing) a 24-hour security for the (election) officers,” he said.

“We have been checking since the election ended and they keep telling us that there are no funds to pay us. How can that be? This election was funded and our engagement for security operation was funded.”

Presiding Officer Archie Baing said some of them had been paid part of what they were owed. Others had not been paid anything.

“This cannot continue as it is a chronic problem with the PNGEC. Every election, they don’t have funds to pay service providers and (casual election) workers,” he said.

“We want an independent auditor to audit funds used in the byelection. ”

The National articles are republished with permission.

Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz