'Zero tolerance for racism': Company apologises after Hawke's Bay franchisee's online outburst

National Party leader Judith Collins and David Wong-Tung.

A national skin and beauty company has apologised for racial comments made online by a Hawke's Bay franchise owner.

Hawke's Bay business woman Rebecca Field hit back this week at anti-Labour memes shared online by David Wong-Tung, the husband of National Party leader Judith Collins.

Wong-Tung has been regularly sharing memes on Facebook from a page called the National Party's Meme Working Group, including one depicting Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern as The Incredible Sulk.

Several posts responding to Wong-Tung have included abuse and racial references.

Field - a franchise owner for skin and appearance experts Caci - posted derogatory comments targeting Wong-Tung and Collins, and referred to Wong-Tung as a "Chinese ****". The post was signed off "From a white female''.

Caci issued a statement on behalf of Field and the company, which said there was "zero tolerance for racism within our business''.

"We'd like to make it clear the comments absolutely do not align with our values at Caci.

"We wholeheartedly support all cultures, diversity and celebrate a multicultural environment.

"We are taking this as an opportunity to do better; we provide diversity training for all of our team and have directed everyone at Caci to complete a refresher module focused on respectful relationships, and diversity and inclusion."

Rebecca Field, who owns Caci clinics in Napier and Havelock North.

Staff would also be reminded of appropriate use of social media "not only from a brand point of view but also from a personal point of view".

"The comments made are not the views of Caci, but we would like to offer our sincere apologies to those impacted by them."

Collins declined to comment on Field's post.

Earlier this week, in response to the online abuse of Wong-Tung after he had shared anti-Labour memes, Collins had said "these things happen''.

Collins had reiterated that she did not post the memes herself, and would not.

"I've just said to him, 'Well it's not something I would do'. But he's an adult and he makes his own decisions."

One meme showing a green-tinged Ardern is labelled "The Incredible Sulk", and is captioned:

"Don't make me angry. You won't like me when I'm angry."

Race Relations Commissioner Meng Foon said he was glad to see members of the National Party discussing racism "in relation to these posts about David Wong-Tung''.

"Members of Parliament and their families should be free from attacks based on race, ethnicity, religion, gender etc, just as they should refrain from such activities."

Foon said he had written to the leaders of all political parties in July asking that they refrain from using race as a tool of division during the 2020 election campaign and encouraged an ethical position for political leaders.

"I encourage anyone who has received harmful online racial abuse to contact Netsafe. The Commission has an enquiries and complaints process too called Infoline email infoline@hrc.oc.nz".

Judith Collins declined to comment on the post which insulted her and her husband David Wong-Tung.