Race Relations Commissioner Dame Susan Devoy is calling on the writer of an anonymous chain letter sent to a Northland man attacking Maori to front up and join a national conversation on race relations.
The photocopied letter was received by Bay of Islands man Harko Brown and addressed to "all the politicians".
It included a copy of a Bob Jones column from the New Zealand Herald describing the businessman's dealings with Auckland Council's iwi consultation rules, the sender saying it had "shown you lot up for the conniving, power at all costs, miserable self-serving bunch you truly are ... Just wait till the public wake up. It will be everything you deserve". In a handwritten addition the sender wrote, "You sound as if you could be a Maori."
Also included was a statement headlined "Maori privilege", complaining of reverse racism and accusing Prime Minister John Key and Treaty Negotiations Minister Chris Finlayson of bringing in ever more race-based legislation; and a four-page document typed in capital letters and called "The real truth of the Treaty of Waitangi".
Dame Susan said it was impossible to discuss issues, debate views or even engage with anonymous critics. "Next year we will be embarking on a national conversation on race relations and instead of sending nameless chain letters, anonymous critics need to come along and take part," she said.