Whanganui MP Harete Hipango meets with TVNZ to 'raise awareness' over comedy segment

"Have You Been Paying Attention" host Hayley Sproull during the show's segment that featured Harete Hipango. Photo / Supplied

Whanganui MP Harete Hipango has had talks with TVNZ following a comedy segment she says was insulting to her family name was subsequently taken off the broadcaster's online service.

During the May 20 episode comedian Urzila Carlson mispronounced the name Hipango as she was figuring out aloud how to say it and deciding if it was referring to a politician or a brand of soy yoghurt and said it sounded "up itself".

Hipango says she has now spoken with TVNZ and says it is about raising awareness.

"I wasn't seeking an apology as such, this is more a case of raising awareness because there is still a lot of casual racism out there and it's about calling it out," she said.

Hipango said a lot of "negative social media had come about" as a result of her statements regarding the segment.

"I'm a tough girl, I can deal with it, what I do take issue with is the impact it has on the younger ones, in terms of processing and working things through, because it is values-based.

"When all these nasty comments come through, it just draws to people's attention that racism is still rife in our communities.

"People don't like to talk about it. I'm here to listen and talk things through.

"What comes out of all of this? A bit of enlightenment and lifting people's level of awareness."

A TVNZ spokesperson said it had no further comment to add following the talks with Hipango.

Last week TVNZ said: "We're incredibly sorry for any offence caused to the Hipango family".