A New Zealand First candidate has promised to scrap the Waitangi Tribunal and remove all references to the Treaty of Waitangi from legislation.
New Zealand First candidate Kym Koloni who is number 38 on the party list, told the audience at a "Meet the Candidates" event in Northcote, Auckland on Monday evening that NZ First is the only "colour-blind" party.
She used the slogan "we want Kiwi, not iwi" - a phrase used by former ACT and National Party leader Don Brash, who now fronts Hobson's Pledge, a lobby group calling for so-called "colour-blind" policies.
During her speech, which was streamed by the North Shore Times, Ms Koloni said, "No living people, black or white, are responsible for what other black or white people did many generations ago. NZ First is the only party that is colour blind."
She went on to say, "NZ First wants to scrap race-based policies. NZ First wants to scrap the Waitangi Tribunal. NZ First wants to remove Resource Management Act iwi clauses."
After a brief pause after an audience member interrupted to ask "How is that not racist?" Ms Koloni continued:
"NZ First wants to remove all references to the Treaty of Waitangi from legislation. NZ First wants a binding referendum on the need for Māori seats. A vote for NZ First is a vote for a colour-blind party. We want Kiwi, not iwi."
At that point, members of the crowd began chanting "shame", and one member said her leader is "one of the most racist people."
On her Facebook page, Ms Koloni posted a link to a video of the event, saying "I wasn't popular and I didn't expect to be. But someone has to speak up!" That post has now been deleted.
In a Facebook post on Sunday, Ms Koloni described Māori Party co-leader Marama Fox as "ready to jump from National to Labour like a dog in heat".
New Zealand First leader Winston Peters was not available to speak to Newshub on Tuesday morning but told RNZ the statements do not represent party policies. He said the party would be speaking to Ms Koloni "post haste".
Newshub.
