Paul Henry's Indian slurs `gratuitous & insulting' - McCully

Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully says he wants India to know that Paul Henry's on-air racial slurs were the ``gratuitous and insulting'' actions of an individual.
The New Zealand High Commissioner in India has already apologised for the comments aired on TVNZ after the Indian Government made a formal complaint.
Mr McCully this morning said he would let the Indian Government know that the comments were the actions of one person, made in a country in which freedom of speech was valued.
``However it is always regrettable when a prominent individual abuses the freedom of expression, which is one of our basic rights, to cause offence to others. That is especially the case when the person offended against is a prominent public figure in another country,'' Mr McCully said.
``The New Zealand High Commissioner has apologised for the offence caused. That is appropriate. The actions of Mr Henry in this case can only be described as gratuitous and insulting.''
Mr McCully said he would convey to the Indian Government that TVNZ had statutory independence and any action against Mr Henry was up to TVNZ and the Broadcasting Standards Authority.
Indian officials summoned New Zealand High Commissioner Rupert Holborow to voice annoyance at ``racial remarks'' made by Henry about Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit on air.
Mr Holborow was handed a demarche, a formal protest, after Henry mispronounced and giggled on air at the name Dikshit.
In between laughter, Henry last week referred to the minister as ``dickshit'', despite having been told her name was pronounced ``dixit''. He also appeared to make a slur against Indians in general.
On Monday Henry questioned whether Auckland-born Governor-General Sir Anand Satyanand was ``even a New Zealander'', and whether his successor would ``look and sound like a New Zealander''.
Mr Holborow was told that India ``strongly and unequivocally denounces the racist remarks of the journalist in question. These remarks are totally unacceptable to India''.
Mr Holborow later released a statement saying, ``I would like to convey my deep regret for the hurt these comments have caused''.
He called them ``culturally insensitive, inappropriate and vulgar''.
Henry is suspended but Green Party MP Keith Locke said TVNZ need to take the situation more seriously.
``Mr Henry's comments have the potential to seriously damage relations between New Zealand and India. It's good that Mr Holborow, in his apology to the Indian Government, has recognised Mr Henry's comments are `racist', and taken a stronger stance than our Government did previously.
``New Zealand's apology to the Indian Government will sound hollow if Paul Henry resumes fronting the Breakfast programme in a week's time... Our state broadcaster needs to show more clearly, by its actions, that it won't tolerate these outbursts.''
Meanwhile Progressive Enterprises yesterday said it would review advertising with the state-owned broadcaster.
The company, which owns the Countdown, Woolworths and Foodtown supermarkets, noted that Henry had been disciplined by TVNZ, which on Tuesday suspended him for two weeks.
It would not pull advertising while he was off the air, but would be ``closely monitoring this issue and the placement of our advertising'' -- a statement that suggests a similar outburst from Henry could jeopardise future advertising on the show.
The company's stance follows a migrant group's call for people to lobby companies that advertise on Breakfast, asking them to withdraw their advertising if Henry kept his job.
Auckland Regional Migrant Services acting executive director Lawton Hakaraia said Henry's ``insensitive and xenophobic comments'' would be viewed negatively by many migrants to New Zealand.
TVNZ has not returned calls this morning.