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Home / New Zealand

Pakeha Party founder admits criminal background

APNZ
9 Jul, 2013 07:33 AM4 mins to read

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David Ruck says he is not racist, and neither is the proposed party. File photo / NZ Herald

David Ruck says he is not racist, and neither is the proposed party. File photo / NZ Herald

The man behind a Facebook Page called the Pakeha Party says he has a criminal background.

David Ruck launched a Facebook page on June 20 called "Pakeha Party" the day Mana Party released its Maori first-home buyer policy in Pomare, Lower Hutt.

He said he was annoyed by the policy.

"Any additional benefits the Maori ask for exclusively for Maori - we ask for the same things for Pakeha," the page says.

The new group is calling for "equal rights and benefits for Pakeha in New Zealand" and has received nearly 39,000 Facebook likes.

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Mr Ruck, who is from Christchurch but now lives in Auckland, said he is not racist, and neither is the proposed party.

He admitted he did not know the Mana Party planned to announce further housing policy for non-Maori.

"The reason it is called the Pakeha Party is because there is a Maori Party and a Mana Party who I believe are racist and create separatism."

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"The [Pakeha] party is for those who want to move together into the future as one people."

When asked about claims he had a criminal background, Mr Ruck admitted he had been sentenced to 10 months in prison for stealing $40,000 of DJ equipment. He served five months in Paparoa Prison, he said.

"There is a small number of DJs in Christchurch who hate my guts, in my opinion because I'm better than them."

He said he was sent to prison for a month on another charge for driving his scooter without a licence.

Discover more

New Zealand|politics

New party plays race card

03 Aug 09:58 PM

Mr Ruck told APNZ he was a businessman running a company called 0199, which he said he set up to compete with the Yellow Pages.

He said he also had a bad credit rating.

Mr Ruck acknowledged he wasn't the right man to front any political party in the future, but confirmed he was in talks with someone else who planned to set up a party.

He believed he didn't have enough knowledge of New Zealand history or politics to run the party.

"To be honest I don't even know when the next election is."

Mr Ruck said supporters who sign up to the website, which is under construction, can vote for the party's policy.

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On Facebook he said: "We were wondering if we could get to 10, 000 likes a few days ago - now we are looking at 100, 000. We get 100, 000 likes on FB and we will walk straight into parliament with 5 per cent of the vote! Nice one Kiwi's".

Prime Minister John Key seemed unimpressed by the group when asked about it at post-Cabinet yesterday.

"People can do what they like, but when you come to Parliament as a member of Parliament, you represent New Zealand and a modern day New Zealand is not a country full of just Pakehas".

***

Twitter reaction:

Toby Manhire (@toby_etc): "The Pakeha Party to launch topical TV show, Naive Affairs."

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Brad Pitt (@mindlessnarry): "What's wrong with a Pakeha party its not racist there's a Maori party."

Kelvin Davis (@NgatiBird): "The Pakeha Party want what Maori have. Excellent they are welcome to our 16 per cent unemployment rate, lower life expectancy and gout."

Christine Ammunson (@2TAPU): "Dear #PakehaParty once we've taken 99 per cent of what you own you can wait 150 years & claim 1 per cent back. Best wishes, The Maoris."

Megan Leach (@megs_leach): "Is it ironic that the Pakeha Party are using a Maori word to depict themselves? Idiots."

Colvin (@Covlin): "A lot of idiots who may potentially vote for a 'Pakeha Party' would surely have to refuse because they reject the term 'pakeha'."

Wallace Chapman (@wallacelchapman): "I know from doing talk radio that Pakeha party will fail not due to policies, but because many European NZers HATE being called Pakeha."

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Nicholas Smith (@RugbyRecon): "The denigration of the Pakeha party while advocating Maori-only parties is just hypocrisy. I abhor all ethnically-based parties."

Ben Uffindell (@BenUffindell): "I worked for months for The Civilian's 17,000 likes. Pakeha Party sitting on 24,000. I concede, they're the better satirists."

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