Mayor's 'hypocrisy' angers parents

Michael Laws. Photo / Wanganui Chronicle

Parents of Otaki School pupils have accused Wanganui Mayor Michael Laws of doing nothing more than abusing children as he points the finger of child abuse at Maoridom.

Seven pupils in the primary's immersion unit - who wanted a "h" inserted into Wanganui - wrote to the Wanganui mayor outlining why they thought that should be the case.

In a short written reply Mr Laws told the students:

"When your class starts addressing the real issues affecting Maoridom - particularly the appalling rate of child abuse and child murder within Maori society, then I will take the rest of your views seriously."

Celia Wihongi, mother of 11-year-old Ngarui Manukau, said that response was petty and hypocritical.

"I think his response amounts to abuse. He's bringing up factors that the children have no control over and saying it's something they should be fixing. That's stupid. But he sees us as poor, filthy and child abusers. That's his whole view - anything outside of that he can't fathom."

Ngarui said the response hadn't put her off writing letters to politicians in the future.

Mr Laws said the letters had been demanding in nature and their angry tone had no place in correspondence written by primary pupils.

Asked if his response was abusive towards the children, Mr Laws said that was the "stupidist" thing he'd heard in 25 years.

He blamed their teacher for politicising the children without giving them the flip side of the Wanganui/Whanganui argument.

"There is nothing worse than a strong opinion that is ignorantly founded."

He raised the possibility of the students travelling to Wanganui for a cup of tea and chat - the school dismissed that, although it was thinking of inviting Mr Laws to Otaki.

Mr Laws said that wasn't going to happen.

"My door is open to Otaki School and those kids to come through it and we'll give them the history of Wanganui and I'm sure they'll go back to Otaki being preachers that the "h" shouldn't be in there."

Michael Laws' office declined to release a copy of his letter, despite having released the letters of the children yesterday.

Iwi have been pushing the change to the city's name and the Geographic Board is due to make a decision on the issue this month.