New Zealand actor Jay Laga'aia has accused Australian network Channel 7 of axing him from Home and Away because of his ethnicity.
Laga'aia, who is of Samoan descent, has backed comments from Underbelly actor Firass Dirani, who accused networks of a "white Australia" policy and that actors on shows such as Packed to the Rafters and Neighbours do not reflect Australian society in 2012.
"Hats off to you Firass Dirani, for a call to stop commercial network producers casting only white actors. Only on Australian screens. Shame!" Laga'aia wrote on Twitter last night.
Laga'aia then accused Channel 7 of writing out his Home and Away character because of his ethnicity. Laga'aia character, Reverend Elijah Johnson has been dating Leah Patterson-Baker, played by Cyprus-born Ada Nicodemou, on the long-running soap.
After 18 months he will leave the show in April. Laga'aia said this was because "they couldn't write two ethnics that weren't together".
