Race relations stormy and divisive in 2007

For a country widely considered to have the best race relations in the world, the year started and ended with events that tugged more at dividing the community than at sowing the seeds of a multicultural society.

Continuing deep divisions between Maori and Pakeha fuelled political extremism, with claims that police raids on alleged weapons training camps in the Bay of Plenty set “race relations back 100 years”.

Nevertheless, there was more to cheer and less to jeer on efforts to build a united nation.

Early in the year, religious groups were outraged and saw red when a national statement on religious diversity spelt out the principle that New Zealand has no state religion.

At the forefront of the opposition to that principle were the Destiny Church and Vision Network of evangelical churches, which demanded that Christianity was and should continue to be the state religion.

Race Relations Commissioner Joris de Bres rubbed salt on Destiny Church founder Brian Tamaki’s wounds when he said: “The State seeks to treat…all faith communities and those who profess no religion equally before the law. New Zealand has no state religion.”

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Race relations stormy and divisive in 2007
Stuff.com.nz