‘Support based on race is racism’

MP condemns university exam policy

On Wednesday, ACT Party MP Dr. Parmjeet Parmar posted on X, highlighting what she described as a "divisive and unfair" practice at Victoria University of Wellington. She shared a screenshot of an email sent to students enrolled in the LAWS121: Introduction to New Zealand Legal System course, announcing a practice exam session restricted to Māori and Pasifika (MPI) students.

“A student sent ACT this – a practice law exam at Victoria University tonight that excludes students based on race.
It’s wrong, divisive, and unfair. My Member’s Bill would stop this and ensure support is based on need, not race.”
— Dr. Parmjeet Parmar on X

The email, sent by a staff member, clearly states that the session is "specifically for Māori and Pasifika (MPI) students" and is part of an initiative that aims to create culturally safe spaces for learning and growth. The event was scheduled for Wednesday, May 28, from 5:00 pm to 6:30 pm in the wharenui at Kelburn, with food provided.

While the message emphasizes that the initiative is not intended to exclude others, Dr. Parmar argues that racially exclusive academic support sessions violate principles of fairness and equality. She reiterated her support for her Member’s Bill, which proposes allocating educational support based on individual need rather than ethnicity.

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Just stop and imagine for a second. If an email went out to law students saying there was a special practice exam, but only for New Zealand European students. You know what would happen, right? The media would lose its collective mind. There’d be protests, outrage, endless panel discussions on how disgusting and shameful it is. And they’d be right, because that is racism. Pure and simple. Excluding people based on the colour of their skin, no matter which way it goes, is racist. End of story.

Because it’s the other way around this time, because the exclusion doesn’t target Pākehā students, the silence is deafening. Victoria University of Wellington should be absolutely f***ing ashamed of themselves. But will they be? Of course not. They’re too busy sucking up to the woke crowd, the Greens, Te Pāti Māori, Labour, all of them playing the identity politics game like it’s the only thing that matters.

Today, I posted something uplifting. A powerful moment where a Māori woman named Ruth Tipu stood up for unity by picking up that divisive “walk-on” flag at a Nelson art gallery. It was a rare, beautiful stand against the constant push to split us apart. Then, just hours later, we get this sort of crap again. Race-based policies, race-based privileges, and a university that should bloody well know better, pushing this divisive rubbish down everyone’s throats.

I’d love nothing more than to stop writing about this stuff. Seriously. Nothing would make me happier than sharing stories that bring us together - stories of strength, courage, real progress. But as long as this race-based nonsense keeps happening, I’ll keep calling it out. Loudly. Because someone has to, and the media won’t.