Winz pair forgiven over racist abuse

The video was posted by Finn MacCuhal's Irish Pub bouncer Tamehana Tai-Rakena, who was one of the targets of the racial abuse. Photo / Supplied

A bar owner says he is willing to forgive two Ministry of Social Development workers who racially abused his staff at the weekend - but says the pair won't be welcome back.

The ministry has begun an investigation and stood down the two employees after a video emerged of the pair - a man and a woman - abusing a bouncer who refused them entry to a Taupo bar.

The video was posted by Finn MacCuhal's Irish Pub doorman Tamehana Tai-Rakena, the target of the abuse.

It shows the male Ministry of Social Development employee saying "f***ing n*****s" and claiming the decision to deny him and his colleague entry is "racist". In the video, Mr Tai-Rakena told a woman: "You're not coming in here girl, you're too intoxicated. Away you go."

The woman responded: "I maybe have drunken four, five beers but guess what? My friends don't deserve to be treated like that."

The doorman claimed the female ministry employee also threatened to tell local gangsters about the incident.

Mr Tai-Rakena repeatedly told the pair "good night" and "away you go".

Bar owner Tom Condon said the behaviour caught on camera was too common nowadays.

"The doorman watched a group of them walk down the road. He picked two of them he wanted to talk to a little bit more. He said, 'Mate, look, I think you might be too intoxicated to come in, I need you to walk a straight line.' And he refused."

Mr Condon said two women already in the bar then came out and "started abusing" Mr Tai-Rakena.

He said Mr Tai-Rakena was abused for about 13 minutes before he began filming the pair.

Mr Condon said another woman who was with the Work and Income group ducked for cover when Mr Tai-Rakena started recording. He had not heard from the individuals involved, but a ministry regional manager visited yesterday and apologised.

Mr Condon said it would be unfair to his staff to let the workers back into the bar, but he could forgive them if they apologised.

He said it was bizarre the man claimed he and his companion were being denied entry because they were "white" when the companion was Maori.