Whanganui iwi calls for resignation of councillor who made 'racially motivated' comments over street name

Local iwi said a Whanganui councillor's comments were racially motivated at a meeting to name this local street. Photo / Lewis Gardner

Whanganui iwi and hapū representatives are calling for the resignation of local councillor Rob Vinsen after they claim he made "racially motivated" comments at a council meeting.

Vinsen made the statements at a December 10 meeting which decided the name of a newly developed housing subdivision in the Springvale area.

Iwi and hapū had submitted the name Te Repo (wetlands) after internal discussions, as it reflected the history and was environmentally appropriate, Whanganui iwi leader Ken Mair said.

Expecting the name to be endorsed, Mair said that to his disbelief, another name had been presented - that of Joan Morrell, a local artist.

The street was ultimately named after the Whanganui sculptor.

When presented with the submissions from local iwi, Vinsen said, "Well aside from the fact that 're-po' has an unfortunate connotation doesn't it?

"Re-po means short for repossession and I don't know whether I would like to live in that street."

Whanganui councillor Rob Vinsen's comments at a December 10 meeting have sparked backlash from the local iwi. Photo / Bevan Conley

Mair called the comments "extremely belittling and mocking" and said fellow councillors laughed at the statement, which added further distress.

"We can only assume that his comments were calculated and deliberate in an attempt to
mock and cause offence to our iwi and hapū," Mair said.

"Furthermore, for Cr Vinsen to have used his comments as rationale to vote against our submission has unquestionably racially motivated connotations and therefore must be challenged."

Mair also took issue with the lack of reaction from those at the meeting and said that by association and inaction they should also be held accountable.

What was most troubling about the meeting, Mair said, was that some councillors seemed to strongly believe that the developer should have the final say, rather than iwi.

"This practice sends the message that our local iwi and hapū are irrelevant and have no
status in our tribal domain."

Mayor Hamish McDouall and the council "must seriously consider" asking for Vinsen's resignation, Mair said.

He called for a written public apology to be presented at the next Whanganui District Council meeting, training on racism and discrimination for the council and a review on the council's policies on racism and discrimination.

A formal complaint has also been made to the Human Rights Commission against the Whanganui District Council for its inaction after Vinsen's comments, Mair said.

McDouall called Vinsen's comments a "poor attempt at humour" and said he did not see it to be racially motivated at the time.

"Personally I don't think it was racially motivated, but it was extremely poor and completely lacking in tact.

"There is no way that any kind of racism is accepted at the council table, even passively."

Local iwi said a Whanganui councillor's comments were racially motivated at a meeting to name this local street. Photo / Lewis Gardner

McDouall said it was a shame that the two names came to loggerheads and was in favour of calling the street Te Repo.

In future, he'd like to see iwi, the developer and council all sit down together and discuss street names, rather than the area developer deciding what an area will be called.

"You want to honour people, or honour the history of the place."

McDouall said any offers of resignation would go through the code of conduct process.

Councillor Philippa Baker-Hogan said Vinsen's comments were "silly".

"I think it was a flippant, off the cuff, stupid comment, with no harm meant,"

She said the council genuinely respected and invested in its relationship with iwi, but could possibly always do better.