White supremacist propaganda leafleting plus racism in the city council are not enough to convince National leader Christopher Luxon to see anti-Maori sentiment as a problem in Tauranga Moana.
But Tauranga--based list MP and Labour candidate for the Tauranga by-election, Jan Tinetti says the pamphlet titled "It's alright to be white" was distributed around Tauranga and she has spoken to residents who have found the material "distressing".
Waiariki MP Rawiri Waititi says that's nothing new for residents in Tauranga Moana or for Māori across the country. "That piece of paper in Tauranga, it's getting cold, throw it in the fire and use it to warm your whānau."
ACT also has a candidate ready to stand in the election, David Seymour says. And he says of the pamphlet, "That's exactly the type of thing ACT opposes and I'd say whoever is putting that out, I'd tell them: Stop it".
"One of the things about Act is that we take people as we find them as opposed to basing things on race," Seymour says.
Tinetti says, "We need to focus on being together. We need to focus on the gains we are making."
'It's the cost of living'
The city council has also been under scrutiny. Te Ao Māori News asked Luxon what he expected from his candidate to tackle the problems of racism in the community evidenced by the introduction of commissioners.
Luxon says, "Local government and the response to commissioners will be a local topic that people will have views on but what I would say to you is that I think you're projecting onto an area and I don't necessarily agree with the assessment."
One of the commissioners' tasks is to rebuild confidence and trust in the council.
Local Government Minister Nanaia Mahuta made the decision to install a commission and says, "This has been going on for a long time in this community. It drags up old sentiments and it's still a concern"
But discrimination based on race is not a priority for some parties.
"I can tell you the same issues for the people of Tauranga are going to be the same issues we see across the country, which is, it's the cost of living, it's housing, it's law and order and those are the big issues that we will be fixated on," Luxon says.
The Tauranga by-election will be held on Saturday, June 18.