I am a supporter of immigration. The New Zealand I grew up in was a very WASP (white, Anglo-Saxon, protestant) place. And we were an intolerant lot. Even those who were here before us had to mold themselves obediently into our language, culture and norms. Britain was where we were from and British, we would stay. God who made thee mighty, make thee mightier yet, and all that stuff. But that has changed. And changed for the better.

The immigration of Asians, Arabs, Africans, Pacific Islanders and the like have brought with them diversity and tolerance. They say travel broadens the mind. Well immigration travel has done the same thing to our country. And it is good.

There are however one or two exceptions. People who, in my opinion, have fled their country of birth because they could no longer tolerate the social changes occurring there. They have come to New Zealand in the hope of imposing their right-wing reactionary lives. The best examples are some imports from white South Africa. And the best example of that, in my opinion, is radio partisan zealot, Heather du Plessis-Allan.

Already two complaints about Heather du Plessis-Allan’s use of the term ‘leeches’ to describe the Pacific Islands have been upheld by the Broadcasting Standards Authority, under both the good taste and decency and discrimination and denigration standards. The Authority recognised that her language was inflammatory, devalued the reputation of Pasifika people and had the potential to cause widespread offence and distress.

Day after day she continues to spread a message across New Zealand that I find vile. I do not want any part of apartheid South Africa imported here. It was and is a depraved and miserable message that has no place in the civilised, multi-cultural and tolerant place New Zealand is trying to become.

For example, last night she was banging on about the Act Party’s plan to abolish minority government ministries – especially those that were race specific. According to du Plessis-Allan what a great idea. After all wasn’t giving Maori or Pacific Islanders a hand up racist? Wasn’t it against the very foundation of democracy? Didn’t it fly in the face of “one man, one vote”? She has obviously forgotten that not so long ago “one man, one vote” literally meant just that. Without those who came before the Ministry of Women’s Affairs, Du Plessis-Allan would not have a vote.

For twenty minutes her radio station preached a toxic message right out of the Hendrik Verwoerd bible. She came within a whisker of promoting the abolition of minority ministries as a policy of “good-neighbourliness” – as an improvement in our social and democratic lives. As different races and cultures have different beliefs and values, they could only reach their full potential if they lived and developed without government assistance. Pursuing a policy of independent development — apartheid by any other name — and restricting New Zealand’s efforts to address past wrongs was best for us all. She didn’t say it, but best for us whites was what she implied. We can do without that malignancy.

And she is breeding. Is there another right-wing bigot or perhaps this child will see the errors of its parents? Perhaps this boy will see their sickness? Perhaps inclusion will take precedent over exclusion? We can only hope.

I see Willie Jackson, in a conversation on this Act Party policy, called David Seymour “he’s just a useless Māori, that’s all”. Isn’t that the truth. Jackson could well have added, “And isn’t Du Plessis-Allan just a useless pakeha, that’s all”. Perhaps a term I heard growing up in Te Reinga, “white maggot”, might be appropriate – after all if the cap fits.