By CLAIRE TREVETT
The Race Relations Commissioner says a Herald headline referring to Paul Holmes as a "cheeky whitey" was a satirical reference and should be judged in that context.
Joris de Bres said he had received about six complaints after the headline on the Herald's front page yesterday referring to broadcaster Paul Holmes' visit to the All Blacks training session in Ashburton.
Positioned below a photo of Holmes and All Blacks winger Joe Rokocoko, it read "Cheeky whitey drops in on All Blacks".
Mr de Bres said most complaints said if it was not all right for Holmes to say "cheeky darkie" then "cheeky whitey" should be treated the same. Holmes came under fire for referring to United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan as a "cheeky darkie" in his Newstalk ZB breakfast show last Wednesday.
Mr de Bres said the complaints about the Herald would go to the Disputes Resolution Service, as Holmes' comments had done.
"Having said that, I think the 'cheeky whitey' comment has been made in the context of satire, as of course were the 'cheeky darkie' comments, but they went well beyond satire. Each has to be judged in its own context."
Mr de Bres had previously said Holmes' comments about Mr Annan were insulting and belittling.
However, he said the statements could be in the clear, as far as the Human Rights Commission was concerned. Racist statements were not unlawful in themselves under the Human Rights Act because there was some protection under the Bill of Rights Act.
Holmes' statements would also be scrutinised under the Broadcasting Act, which had its own principles of freedom of expression.
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