David Seymour caught telling lies

Act Party Leader David Seymour

It really bothers me when the NZ Herald reports the claims of certain right wing politicians as the truth without any fact checking. Not only do they encourage dishonest politicians to continue to lie, they also degrade the standard of reporting we get in New Zealand.

Of course I’m not just talking about the shockingly bad reporting from the NZ Herald when they rushed to print Simon Bridges’ claims that he witnessed a gang fight at Tauranga hospital.

Last month the Herald also reported as fact Act Party leader David Seymour’s claims that a Whangārei primary school was forcing its students to make speeches that acknowledged their white privilege.

On 16 May, the NZ Herald reported:

Tackling racism in Aotearoa: Should white privilege be taught in schools?

A student at a Whangārei primary school had to stand up in front of their classroom and say what they had done to acknowledge their white privilege.

Act Party leader David Seymour says this is just one example he's heard from concerned parents about what he calls "racialised education".

…

Seymour said discussions around race and inequality were important, but he was concerned topics such as "white privilege" at a primary school level would in itself be "divisive".

"What are teachers supposed to say to a 'white' child who may have no money or food at home, be abused, face a learning challenge, or any other challenge? How is it that their colour makes them privileged regardless of their individual circumstances?"

 

Of course Seymour has made this story up to pull at the heartstrings of his racist Act Party supporters. There was no primary school student who had to denounce his or her white privilege in front of the whole class. Just like Simon Bridges' now infamous gang fight, it is a figment of a right wing politician’s imagination…or in other words a lie to try and gain people’s attention.

But worse than that, Seymour has used this lie to attack programs that are in fact working to address racism and inequity in New Zealand. This is because the Act Party doesn’t actually believe discrimination against Maori exists. In fact the Act Party believes that trying to address racial discrimination in Aotearoa is racism in itself. But what else do you expect from a political party that accepts donations from white supremacists?

Despite the Act Party’s campaign of disinformation the Ministry of Education is clearly on the right track with Te Hurihanganui. We should expect this programme to be extended into other schools to ensure historical injustices are rightfully taught to children and adults alike.