Trade Minister Todd McClay penned a letter to Green MP Ricardo Menéndez March after making the comments in the House last week. Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone
Green MP Ricardo Menéndez March says an apology from the trade minister over comments he made last week failed to acknowledge that what he said was racist.
During Question Time last Tuesday, Menéndez March, who was born in Mexico, raised a point of order to say Todd McClay had said words to the effect of "you're not in Mexico now. We don't do things like that here".
After a suggestion from the speaker that he withdraw and apologise, McClay did so.
McClay has now written to Menéndez March personally to apologise, saying there was nothing intentionally meant by the comments.
"I have a lot of respect for Ricardo, he's a very hard working MP. It was a little bit of friendly banter in the House which didn't land, which is the reason I was happy to stand up and apologise. But there's absolutely nothing personal about it," McClay said.
Green MP Ricardo Menéndez March says the letter failed to explain why Todd McClay made the comments in the first place. Photo: Phil Smith
Menéndez March said McClay's letter, which explained the comments were meant "in good humour", acknowledged that what he said was inappropriate.
But he said the letter failed to explain why McClay made the comments in the first place, or acknowledge they could cause harm to migrant communities.
"Discrimination towards migrant communities is no laughing matter, and the key thing I need him to understand is this is not about my feelings, or how he made me feel necessarily, but rather whether as a politician and as someone in a position of power, messages that so overtly racist and xenophobic are acceptable altogether," he said.
"Friendly banter does happen in the chamber, but we need to draw the line about things that are very explicitly racist and xenophobic, and it is concerning for a trade minister particularly to not be able to acknowledge when something was racist."
Menéndez March said on the day the comments were made, his mentions on X were full of people who felt "emboldened" by McClay's comments.
