"Disgraceful comments"... Ken Mair. Photo / Laurel Stowell
"Disgraceful comments"... Ken Mair. Photo / Laurel Stowell
The way Whanganui district councillors chose to name a new street has sparked a complaint to the Human Rights Commission - and allegations of racism - from Tupoho trust chairman Ken Mair.
Mair has asked for a public apology and training at council in understanding racism and discrimination.
Councillors chose Morrell St for a new street in Tawhero, a name suggested by the developer to honour well-known Whanganui sculptor Joan Morrell.
Under a new street-naming protocol Whanganui's Tupoho iwi had also been asked to suggest a name, for the first time.
Tupoho and neighbouring iwi Ngā Rauru chose Te Repo St. Repo means swamp in te reo Māori, and it was a reference to the area's wetland past.
"Our hapū put a lot of work into it with the expectation that it would be endorsed," Mair told the Chronicle after the meeting.
Instead, most councillors preferred Morrell St, and councillor Rob Vinsen said "repo" had an unfortunate connotation as an abbreviation for "repossession", and he wouldn't like to live in that street.
Other councillors laughed. Mair said that was disrespectful, that Vinsen should have been corrected or reprimanded and the decision should have been put on hold.
He and others from Tupoho found the incident racist, he said.
He said the comment was mocking and belittling "of our name, our language and us as a people", and Vinsen should not have used the connotation as a reason to vote against the Te Repo name.
"Ken's concerns around the process parallel mine"... Hamish McDouall. Photo / Bevan Conley
Whanganui mayor Hamish McDouall, who chaired the meeting, should have delayed the decision and met with iwi, Mair said. Pushing it through amounted to "tyranny by the majority".
That formed the basis of Mair's complaint which was filed with the commission last week.
"It's a classic example of where us as iwi have no political influence in our own tribal domain," Mair said.
McDouall said a couple of councillors' comments "marginalised the name offered by iwi in jocular ways rather than giving it the seriousness and sobriety it required".
He had expected them to "reflect appropriately".
McDouall didn't believe developers were the best people to name streets, and said a process where iwi and developers sat down together might be better.
"Nothing to do with racism"... Rob Vinsen. Photo / Bevan Conley
Meanwhile, Vinsen was surprised by Mair's reaction.
"If the correct iwi pronunciation of Te Repo is mispronounced it has the unfortunate connotation of being taken as short for "repossession", he said in a statement.
"In no way is there any disrespect intended - it is merely a statement of fact."
"My reason for voting (along with 10 others) for Morrell St was that I consider that it is the right of the developer, who may have spent millions developing the subdivision, to make their own choice of names."
Mair said the councillors should ask Vinsen to resign, or raise a code of conduct against him with the chief executive.
McDouall said that was something Mair could do himself.
Mair's complaint to the Human Rights Commission is against the mayor, for not "pulling up" Vinsen.
As solutions he suggested an investigation, a public apology, training at council in understanding racism and discrimination and a review of council policies.
The incident would not stop Tupoho forming a closer relationship with the council, Mair said.
"Next week we will be sitting down and trying to work through some of these things, and we have this type of attitude and behaviour. We will persist - some may feel we shouldn't."
