Taika Waititi has hit back at Duncan Garner's accusations that he is "treasonous" and a traitor to his country.
AM Show host Garner called out The Thor: Ragnarok director, who won New Zealander of the Year 2017, after he told Marae the country's reputation overseas isn't the reality.
- 'I'm not proud of New Zealand' - Taika Waititi
- Duncan Garner – 'Taika Waititi threw New Zealand under the bus'
"I'm not very proud of coming from a place that everyone overseas thinks it's this pure, clean, green country but, in reality, all our lakes and waterways are poison.
"We've got a lot to learn about our depression rates, our suicide rates, teen suicide rates, child poverty numbers and the housing crisis."
AM Show host Garner told viewers on Thursday morning Waititi was "wrong".
"He was New Zealander of the year, this year, 2017...you cannot be this treasonous about your own country. You cannot say you're not proud to be a New Zealander if you're the New Zealander of the year."
On Thursday evening, Waititi responded to those accusations of "treason" in a series of tweets obviously targeted at the AM Show presenter.
"I'm sorry NZ! I wasn't thinking and spoke in haste. I forgot to mention domestic violence, sexism, homophobia, and racism. My bad!," he wrote.
He continued with more pointed comments, reiterating the flaws in New Zealand's mental health system and waterways.
In an Apster poll on the Newshub website, 68 percent of voters said they didn't think Taika Waititi was letting down his country.
Newshub.
