Key's handling of remarks 'gutless'

Paul Henry. Photo / Supplied

Prime Minister John Key and his Government's handling of Paul Henry's racially charged comments about Governor-General Sir Anand Satyanand has been "gutless" right from the beginning, says the Opposition.

Labour MP Trevor Mallard yesterday said the furore over Henry's comments "could have been fixed right as it happened if the Prime Minister didn't try and smile and please Paul Henry".

"His decision at the time not to challenge Paul Henry was gutless and it means ... someone who has to make instant decisions that could be very important to the country made a decision to condone racism and not to call it right then.

"Frankly you do need to have a Prime Minister that has the backbone to say that behaviour is unacceptable. You don't have to go back to the office to think about it."

Mr Mallard defended his own leader Phil Goff's initial response, which was itself not particularly tough, as due to his not having seen the programme when first asked about it.

Mr Goff yesterday condemned Henry's comments as racist and offensive and said that as such they "shouldn't have been accepted by the Prime Minister".

Mr Key yesterday said he was "fairly taken aback" by Henry's comments at the time.

"Quite frankly, I was not quite sure what I was hearing from him."

Mr Key would not call the comments racist but instead said they were "totally inappropriate".

Meanwhile, Broadcasting Minister Jonathan Coleman yesterday refused to comment on the affair, saying it was an operational matter for TVNZ to deal with.

While Mr Mallard did not think the minister should interfere with state-owned broadcasters on a daily basis, "in this case where the Queen's representative is attacked in a way which is an indirect attack on everyone who doesn't have white skin, it would be a good sign from the Government about how unacceptable they found it" if Dr Coleman was to refer the matter to the Broadcasting Standards Authority.

Mr Key said it would not have been appropriate for him to put pressure on TVNZ to discipline Henry.

The story has now been picked up by Indian media and by midday yesterday, it was the third most popular on the Times of India website's world section, drawing readers' comments such as: "If he [Paul Henry] knew that Anand had done a commendable job in New Zealand, then why did he rake up the issue in the terms he very deliberately chose to use? Clearly it was his racist streak which surfaced."

Indian New Zealand journalist Venkat Raman of Indian Newslink said he was not surprised the story had been picked up on the subcontinent but he did not believe that it would do lasting damage to the relationship between the two countries or jeopardise negotiations towards a free trade agreement.

"It could be a talking point for a few days but it will be a passing cloud."

TVNZ's initial comment about Henry's remarks this week were that the broadcaster was "loved by his audience because he's prepared to say the things we quietly think but are scared to say out loud".

However, Raman said feedback he had received from the New Zealand Indian community and his readers was that they were heartened by the overwhelming response from New Zealanders that, far from agreeing with Henry's comments at any level, they found them deeply offensive.

"I think it will do him good if he apologises to all New Zealanders, not just the Indian community. It's quite possible that it's not just the Indian community that takes offence."

Green Party human rights spokesman Keith Locke said Henry still did not seem to understand how his comments offended more than the Governor-General.

"Paul Henry was denigrating hundreds of thousands of our citizens who are not of European or Maori origin, and to him don't 'look' like real New Zealanders."

Mr Locke said TVNZ should rethink its stance and "stop promoting its Breakfast programme as a platform for bigotry".

Henry's apology

Paul Henry on Breakfast yesterday apologised to Sir Anand Satyanand:

"I have something very important to say this morning.

"Yesterday a lot of people got very upset with the comment I made regarding the Governor-General when I was talking with the Prime Minister. You may have seen it. I would like you all to know that I have the greatest respect for Sir Anand Satyanand. I don't know him personally, but I understand his reputation is beyond reproach. He is highly respected in the judicial circle as a former judge and as the Queen's representative here in New Zealand.

"He has done a very fine job as Governor-General and I am sincerely sorry if I seemed disrespectful to him.

"It was not what I intended and I certainly didn't intend to sound racist. It was wrong for me to ask the questions that I did.

"Sir Anand was born in New Zealand, his lineage as far as I can ascertain is far more dignified than mine, which makes him a better candidate for Governor-General than me.

"Most people think I'm British but the truth is much worse than that. Like the Governor-General I was born in New Zealand. However, I'm at least half what they colloquially call in Europe a Gypo.

"So let me make it quite clear, I will never apologise for causing outrage but I do and will apologise sincerely for causing real hurt and upset to anyone, no matter what their background, who works to make this country a better country.

"So in that spirit I apologise unreservedly to Sir Anand and his family. He is a very distinguished man. I am a Gypo television presenter."