AUCKLAND: The New Zealand Human Rights Commission has dismissed complaints made against Professor Margaret Mutu over her statements calling for a restriction of white immigrants. As Ngati Kahu Runanga chairwoman, Mutu said that many white migrants from countries such as South Africa, England and the United States brought with them an attitude of “white supremacy” that was destructive to the Maori. Her comments sparked some 30 complaints to the Race Relations Commissioner, including one from Ngapuhi leader David Rankin who has called on the University of Auckland to sack Mutu. “It says a lot for her academic credibility that she has to resort to racist comments and hate speech in order to gain attention,” said Rankin. Race Relations Commissioner Joris de Bres said that although he deplored Professor Mutu's proposition that New Zealand should discriminate against white-skinned people from certain countries, the Bill of Rights Act allows freedom of expression. Quoting the Education Act, which, Bres said, respected the freedom of academic staff and students, within the law, to question and test perceived wisdom, to put forward new ideas and to state controversial or unpopular opinions. Professor Mutu, who is also head of the Department of Maori Studies at the University of Auckland, claimed that in general Maori were supportive of Asian immigration. Mutu's right to express her opinion to raise a public issue has been defended by The University of Auckland. However, Vice-Chancellor Stuart McCutcheon, in the Universities monthly staff magazine, said any controversial comments made by academics should be backed up with research to avoid damaging the University's reputation. BM
