New Zealanders more relaxed about race

Pura Kerekere-Tangira pulls Governor-General Dame Silvia Cartwright into a hongi. Picture / Amos Chapple

New Zealanders appear to be worrying less about race relations. The Human Rights Commission has found that the number of complaints of race-related discrimination it received last year dropped 26 per cent from the year before.

In addition, it sees a corroborating trend in the UMR Research Mood of the Nation Report for 2005, which has found that for the first time in three years, race relations and Maori issues have dropped from the top spot, falling to our third "most important issue" in a list of seven.

When the survey asked about the future of race relations in New Zealand, people were generally more optimistic than in previous years, with 36 per cent saying things would get better.

The news comes in the HRC's Race Relations in 2005 report, an overview that lists the work that has gone into improving race relations in New Zealand. It focuses primarily on Pakeha, Maori and Pacific peoples.

The second annual report, which foreshadows Race Relations Day on March 21, filters the year through perspectives such as the Treaty of Waitangi, economic and social rights, and diversity research, and presents itself as a basis for informed discussion.

In the opinion of Race Relations Commissioner Joris de Bres, following several high-profile, contentious issues in 2004 - among them National leader Don Brash's Orewa speech, which slated targeted funding to minorities, the Government's hastily enacted foreshore and seabed legislation and the subsequent hikoi to Parliament among them - people have "worked through their issues".

"It's been sometimes a hurtful, but a healthy, debate. The thing that came through for us was the strong sense that we had to talk about everybody having a home here ... even if they have a different ancestry.

"The popular verdict [was that there is] no great taste for any escalation of racial division and [we ended up with] an ethnically diverse Parliament in which these issues will have to be worked through by negotiation.

"We've all learned a bit in the process, and it's time to get back to business on the fact that there is still significant inequality and still lots of things to address."

The report discusses the third annual UMR Mood of the Nation report, which quizzes 750 New Zealanders aged over 18 every month. Race relations were perceived as the most important issue facing the nation in 2002, 2003 and 2004, outranking health, unemployment, the economy, crime and education.

But the poll covering 2005, released in January, showed a big change; the average ranking of race relations as the most important problem dropped from 28 per cent in 2004 to 9.7 per cent, behind health and the economy.

The survey also found that no race relations stories were among the "most followed news stories" in 2005. The London bombings in July, the Boxing Day 2004 tsunami and the Waiheke Island foot-and-mouth scare in May were the top three.

It also recorded that people felt more optimistic about the future of New Zealand race relations than in previous years, with only 27 per cent saying things would "get worse". Maori were more optimistic than non-Maori, and those living in Auckland and Wellington were the most upbeat.

And what of those who felt they had been unfairly treated? The HRC's dispute resolution service last year received 1796 complaints, with 597 of those referring to race, colour or ethnic or national origins, says Sam Sefuiva, the HRC's manager, race and ethnic relations.

A total of 455 were resolved relatively quickly, through provision of information or informal intervention. The remaining 142 complaints were resolved through mediation. Of those complaints, the largest numbers related to discrimination or racial harassment in the workplace (20 per cent); discrimination in the provision of goods and services (22 per cent); and complaints about public sector agencies or discriminatory legislation (23 per cent).

Mr de Bres sounds a caution, however: "It's difficult to pinpoint the reason [for a drop]. We still get, anecdotally, a lot of evidence of discrimination, and it's never a simple matter of saying because we have fewer complaints, there is less discrimination."

Falling complaints can be a sign of a "lack of confidence in the systems to deal with them - whether the Human Rights Commission or the Broadcasting Standards Authority or the Press Council.

"Nevertheless, hopefully it's a good sign."

The report also notes that there were "remarkably few" complaints of race-based denigration against media outlets in 2005.

However, looking to the years ahead, Mr de Bres' biggest worry is that "changing demographics and continuing inequality are on a collision course".

The report shows that in 2005 more than a third of all children born here were of Maori and Pacific descent, but statistics show that compared with the general population, avoidable mortality (deaths preventable through health promotion and intervention) was three times as high for Maori and twice as high for Pacific people.

Mr de Bres acknowledges that "a huge amount of effort is going into addressing these things. My main concern is that there isn't a let-up in this."

He says that although much positive support is being delivered through the Government's Working For Families package, its benefits are currently tied to employment.

"If there is a drop in employment, the Working for Families impact will also reduce. I think we have to be very careful that those sort of improvements aren't reversed in the next couple of years."

The theme for Race Relations Day on March 21 is "Aotearoa, New Zealand: turangawaewae, our home," and the HRC has produced a long list of awareness-raising ideas for schools and businesses.

The day is observed worldwide as the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination and takes place on the anniversary of the Sharpeville massacre in South Africa in 1960, when 5000 black people walked peacefully to a police station to hand back the discriminatory "passes" that they had to carry when away from home.

Police opened fire on the crowd, killing 69 people and injuring over 2000.

In April, a report will be released by United Nations rapporteur Rodolfo Stavenhagen, who visited New Zealand last year to check whether foreshore laws breached Maori rights.

Mr de Bres thinks the report will simply be "a restatement" of what is already understood in New Zealand.

Mr de Bres thinks that next year's race relations report will probably record that there were benefits from the furore over cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad and the South Park cartoon about Mary.

"I expect that what one might be saying about the cartoon thing is that it triggered a constructive process of discussion, an overdue discussion on issues to do with the freedom of the press and editorial responsibility and public confidence in the media in an increasingly diverse cultural and religious context.

"I'm really pleased that already there are arrangements for further discussion with the media, not just on the religious diversity question but the cultural diversity question - and how media report it - and representation [of ethnic minorities] on their staff and engagement with a more diverse community.

"I'm hoping to look back in 12 months and say: Hey, that started something."


Employer's attitude to moko breached the law

A worker who had a moko applied and was told by his boss that it would have disqualified him from getting a job had it been present at his interview was among the people who complained of discrimination to the Human Rights Commission last year.

The worker was told by the employer that it was considered too late to terminate the worker's employment.

Such a situation was a clear breach of the law," said Sam Sefuiva, the Human Rights Commission manager, race and ethnic relations.

In its just-released Race Relations in 2005 report, the commission said it was involved in resolving 142 allegations of discrimination on the grounds of race, colour, ethnic or national origins last year.

Work-related complaints made up one of the largest proportions at 20 per cent, up four per cent up on 2004.

Complaints under Part 1A of the Human Rights Act, which relate to allegations against state agencies or legislation, totalled 23 per cent (up from 21 per cent) and included allegations of mistreatment by police or other civil servants. Complaints relating to provision of goods and services made up 22 per cent (up from 15 per cent), and those about racial harassment 19 per from cent (up from 15 per cent).

However, Mr Sefuiva said that, overall, inquiries to do with perceived race discrimination dropped 26 per cent, falling from 812 in 2004 to 597 last year. The 142 complaints investigated were part of that latter figure and the proportions remained largely the same.

He said the agency released few details of complaints as it worked on a mediation rather than fault-finding basis.

However, Mr Sefuiva said it was often difficult to substantiate the treatment which prompted complaints. Resolution was often reached by educating people on their rights and responsibilities.

But several cases mediated did make headlines. "Fa'afafine extraordinaire" and award-winning fashion designer Lindah Lepou obtained an apology from an Auckland City staffer who dumped her at the last minute from an onstage Pasifika presenting role.

After four complaints within 24 hours a ban by Air New Zealand and Qantas on men sitting next to unaccompanied children went to the commission.

A "significant number" of inquiries involved allegations of racist remarks or attributing of racist stereotypes. The right to wear moko "continued to be an issue".