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Students' award a joke, says Laws

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Sat, 24 Oct 2009 12:18p.m.

Wanganui Mayor Michael Laws

Wanganui Mayor Michael Laws

Wanganui Mayor Michael Laws says an award given to a group of Otaki primary school pupils for standing up to him is a joke.

The seven girls, aged 11-13, were yesterday given certificates by Race Relations Commissioner Joris de Bres.

In August they wrote to Mr Laws in Maori to say they were annoyed he was opposed to adding an "h" to Wanganui.

Mr Laws responded by suggesting their teacher should be sacked and the students should learn to control their anger.

He said they should address the "real issues of Maoridom" before he would take their views seriously.

Mr de Bres yesterday presented the girls with certificates and said they acted "with real dignity and calm and quietly stood up for what you thought when dealing with such rubbish from Wanganui's mayor", the Dominion Post reported.

Mr Laws today called for the sacking of Mr de Bres, calling him an "unelected, liberal stooge" and the award a joke. "He has no interest in mediating between the races -- he has every interest in advancing his politically correct and biased views."

Mr Laws cited polls conducted by the New Zealand Herald, YahooXtra and TV3, following his stoush with the students, in which he received the majority of public support.

The Geographic Board has recommended the "h" be restored but the final decision lies with Land Information Minister Maurice Williamson.

NZPA

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Comments

04 Nov 2009 06:07p.m.

dave wrote:

the whole thing is a farce...he should be neutral and trying to calm the situation, not take one side over the other. In this case neither is right or wrong, we are allowed freedom to say what we think..even if it is radical or against the flow.

27 Oct 2009 03:15a.m.

Etanjt wrote:

And the Laws saga continues. Whilst I believe that the awards were inappropriate, Laws is a politician and needs to be aware of who he is and represents. His advice on sacking people seems toothless. the sad thing about it, is when he is voted out, he is not going to be remembered for any of the good things he done for Wanganui. people are very good for only remembering the bad things.

25 Oct 2009 10:51a.m.

kiel wrote:

Jan, you really are a fool. Stop posting rubbish as you are making yourself lose any credibility.

24 Oct 2009 06:15p.m.

Jan wrote:

I guess in someway Wanganui belong's to the back power gang..

24 Oct 2009 05:38p.m.

Jo wrote:

Its amazing this far-right stooge by the name Michael Patrica Laws is still making headlines. He shouldn't even feature on National News, he is a lowly mayor. He should get a real job. Being the mayor of Whanganui is stupid

24 Oct 2009 05:24p.m.

John wrote:

I agree with Mr. Laws this is another example of the PC crap that's going on in the system today. These kids were clearly set up by some dipstick teacher.

24 Oct 2009 05:17p.m.

James wrote:

Pity we don't have more people like Laws that will fight back against reverse racism. Once again New Zealand is the last in social evolution of developed nations.

24 Oct 2009 04:32p.m.

peter wrote:

Look, the letters 'written' by these school kids all had the same structure, the same message. It was clearly s campaign from some Otaki schoolteacher using their Bic-pen moku'd school children for their own ends. Michael Laws probably over-reacted but the guy is only human, when he's attacked from someone using school kids as a shield what can you do?

24 Oct 2009 04:28p.m.

Dr. Phil wrote:

David, one word; history. Think about it. Seriously.
You'd benefit from a little knowledge before you spout off. Just in case you 'don't get it,' the irony is that under a Darwinist model of society your ignorance would put you among the social out cases like the majority of New Zealanders who wouldn't know bourgois ideology from Marxian dialectics. So who's the tool? Bottomline, you get to enjoy freedoms and relative safety because of liberalism and its champions.

You believe in meritocracy so if you want to run with the big boys, then pull your head out of the a-hole of stereotype and populous BS and do the time, because the lowest common denominator doesn't get to determine the nature of reality--at least not for long.

24 Oct 2009 04:18p.m.

Ty Williams wrote:

Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha.... Michael Lores... The jokes on you.... LMAO...