One of Whangārei district councillors is under fire after leaving what many have deemed a “racist” comment on a Facebook post about the Hīkoi over Tāmaki Makaurau Habour Bridge.
In a post about the huge turnout, councillor Marie Olsen wrote: “35,000 - wow how many unemployed?”
The also inaccurate comment (police stated there were only 5000 people crossing the bridge) has attracted significant negative attention online.
Whangārei Māori ward councillor Phoenix Ruka (Ngāpuhi) was one of those who responded to her on the original post.
“Marie Olsen I was in the hikoi and we have the same job. Marie, don’t expect any favours or niceties from me in council any more.”
Te Ao Māori News spoke to Ruka about the incident. He wasn’t surprised she had made what he called a “racist” comment.
“She’s been vocal about her feelings about Māori.
“In her election campaign, she was open about her feelings towards co-governance, her distaste towards Three Waters because of its want and desire to be co-governed. She was openly against Maori wards in the first place.”
When Whangārei District Council was voting for the future of its Māori wards, Olsen had voted in support of disestablishing it.
“When I was elected, I ran for no to co-governance, no to three-waters and no to Māori ward seats. My stand on that has not changed and that’s what I was elected on,” she had said in the meeting.
The council did end up retaining it, with the area to hold a binding poll in its next elections.
“We as Māori, our mana dictates how we behave, it dictates how we interact with people regardless of how they interact with me.
“Even though I know she’s openly, you know, racist and has these beliefs, I still try and be amicable with her. I’m respectful towards her.
“Her comments [were] the final straw for me. So I just wanted her to know that there will be no more of that. She’s burned her bridges with me. There’ll be no more favours,” he said.
The Māori ward councillor attended the hīkoi and he said he could list many of the jobs many people who also attended held.
“There’s this crazy thing that must be a new concept to racist people called ‘annual leave’ that they must not know about where people can take leave, you know, because they’re entitled to be able to do that.
“So 100% it’s a racial attack. It’s a racial comment and she behaves [as a] racist.”
Ruka isn’t going to file a formal complaint against Olsen.
“If we made a formal complaint every time someone made a racist comment," he joked.
He alleged Olsen had made similar comments on other posts about the hīkoi.
The Māori ward councillor was made aware of it due to some of the other councillors reaching out to him about it. Ruka said Whangārei mayor Vince Cocurullo wants to address the comments.
Te Ao Māori News asked Whangārei District Council to see if it was aware of the councillor’s comments.
In response, a spokesperson said: “Elected members are free to express a personal view to the media or social media at any time subject to the expectations of the Elected Member Code of Conduct.
“The council has received reports of recent posts by elected members and will be looking into this. In fairness to the parties involved, Whangarei District Council will not be making any further comment at this time.”
Te Ao Māori News has asked Olsen for comment but she has yet to respond.
