Anti-racism protester in ugly clash with Peters

By AUDREY YOUNG political reporter

Ugly scenes broke out inside and outside Parliament yesterday as Winston Peters clashed with those who accuse him of racism in his renewed anti-immigration campaign.

The New Zealand First leader was likened to Hitler by a protester outside the House.

He was mentioned in the same breath as the Ku Klux Klan inside Parliament - until Speaker Jonathan Hunt ruled Ethnic Affairs Minister Chris Carter out of order.

Mr Carter later circulated a 1996 article quoting a Klan official as supporting Mr Peters.

Mr Peters later circulated an article from last week's Western Leader suggesting an influx of refugees was partly blamed for state house waiting lists being twice as long as they were last year in west Auckland.

About a dozen protesters and MPs met on Parliament steps at lunchtime to oppose Mr Peters' recent speeches claiming that refugees are restricting New Zealanders' access to health.

Mr Peters tried to speak to the group but the organiser, Karuna Muthu, shouted him down so he gave up.

Chanting "Stop racism" Mr Muthu pursued Mr Peters to the top of Parliament's steps.

Mr Muthu, an Indian-born New Zealander, and management consultant, put his hand on Mr Peters' back, who asked him to take his hands off him.

Mr Peters said he was asked to turn up at Mr Muthu's protest.

"I did. He asked me to have an exchange of views," Mr Peters said. "He denied me the chance of doing that."

The pair had clashed earlier in the day in a Wellington radio interview.

Mr Muthu presented a letter to Mr Hunt calling on him to expunge racist remarks made in Parliament from the parliamentary record.

He told reporters he had come to New Zealand for "the same reasons [as] your forefathers and the Maoris who came here - looking for better places, better opportunities for your children, yourself.

"I have encountered racism around the world and the kind of racism I encountered in New Zealand was very subtle and sophisticated. That's the difference.

"The issue is racism and don't run away from it."

Speaking on the steps, Green MP Metiria Turei suggested Maori had more in common with immigrants than Pakeha New Zealanders.

"Colonial oppression and racism is affecting many, many peoples and now our new immigrants to this country. Maori have more in common with those people ... than with our colonial oppressors.

"We have more in common with those who come here to escape their own colonial oppression in their own country."

Labour MP Ashraf Choudhary suggested Mr Peters was acting out of spite.

"Mr Peters is thinking he is not a part of the Government he thought he would be.

"I believe by continuously talking about this issue he is inciting hatred.

"People out there will feel insecure at the moment.

"They want to carry on their daily jobs. They don't want to be attacked every day and talked about."

National MP Pansy Wong said ethnic communities had found a voice.

"We will not lie down.

"We will fight alongside our fellow New Zealanders for a shared future where there is one standard of citizenship and where there is no room for racist and opportunistic politicians."

Progressive Coalition MP Matt Robson called on NZ First supporters to condemn their leader, whom he said espoused policies of hatred that incited violence.

Outgoing Race Relations Commissioner Gregory Fortuin told the Herald last night he did not want to fuel the situation.

"But I would say to Winston that I have staunchly supported his right to freedom of speech and freedom of expression to have the debate about immigration, particularly the issue about numbers and economic sustainability," he said.

"I would appeal to his goodwill to assist the Office of the Race Relations Commissioner in championing our work of harmonious race relations."