“Race Relations Commissioner Meng Foon has breached the Human Rights Act by racially profiling Members of Parliament,” says ACT Leader David Seymour.

“Late last year Mr Foon wrote to selected Members of Parliament to request a five-year compulsory te reo Māori education strategy. I noticed with interested that the only members of the ACT caucus the letter was sent to was myself, Nicole McKee and Karen Chhour. Despite it being about education, it was not addressed to our education spokesperson Chris Baillie or any other members of the ACT caucus.

“Section 21(1)(f) of the Human Rights Act 1993 states: You can't be discriminated against because of your race or ethnicity, or because of your nationality or citizenship (the grounds of “colour”, “race”, and “ethnic or national origins”).

“I asked Mr Foon under the Official Information Act what information he had used to decide who to send the letter to. He replied, “Their details were sourced from the list of MPs on the Parliament website.”

“He also said: “the Ministers were selected as they hold relevant portfolios. Māori MPs, which included Ministers, were selected because they were thought likely to have a particular interest in the issue and to reflect the Crown partnership with tangata whenua under te Tiriti o Waitangi.”

“The website does not include ethnicity details. That means Mr Foon judged who thought was Māori by what they looked like, breaching Section 21(1)(f) of the Human Rights Act.

“ACT does not have a “Māori caucus, or a spokesperson for Māori Affairs. We believe all New Zealanders should be treated equally, not profiled because of what they look like or who their grandparents were.

“If we’re going to break the cycle of racism in this county – the kind of behaviour Mr Foon has displayed needs to stop. It shows what little value he is adding and in some cases he is even taking race relations a step backwards.”

The list of MPs the letter was sent to includes:

Right Honourable Jacinda Ardern, Rangatira Māngai.

Hon Kiritapu Allan, Mema mō Te Tai Rāwhiti, Te Pāti Reipa.

Tamati Coffey, Mema mō te rārangi rōpū, Te Pāti Reipa.

Hon Kelvin Davis, Mema mō Te Tai Tokerau, Te Pāti Reipa.

Paul Eagle, Mema mō Rongotai, Te Pāti Reipa.

Shanan Halbert, Memo mō Northcote, Te Pāti Reipa.

Hon Peeni Henare, Mema mō Tāmaki Makaurau.

Hon Chris Hipkins, Minita o te Mātauranga.

Hon Willie Jackson, Mema o te rārangi rōpū, Te Pāti Reipa.

Jo Luxton, Mema mō Rangitata, Te Pāti Reipa.

Hon Nanaia Mahuta, Mema mō Hauraki-Waikato, Te Pāti Reipa.

Willow-Jean Prime, Mema mō Te Tai Tokerau, Te Pāti Reipa.

Adrian Rurawhe, Mema mō Te Tai Hauāuru, Te Pāti Reipa.

Rino Tirikatene, Mema mō Te Tai Tonga, Te Pāti Reipa.

Hon Meka Whaitiri, Mema mō Ikaroa-Rāwhiti, Te Pāti Reipa.

Arena Williams, Mema mō Manurewa, Te Pāti Reipa.

Hon Judith Collins, Leader of the Opposition, National Party.

Hon Simon Bridges, Mema mō Tauranga, Te Pāti Nahinara.

Harete Hipango, Mema o te rārangi rōpū, Te Pāti Nāhinara.

Shane Reti, Mema o te rārangi rōpū, Te Pāti Nāhinara.

Debbie Ngarewa-Packer, Mema o te rārangi rōpū.

Rawiri Waititi, Mema mō Waiariki, Te Pāti Māori.

Hon Marama Davidson, Mema o te rārangi rōpū, Rōpū Kākāriki.

Dr Elizabeth Kerekere, Mema o te rārangi rōpū, Rōpū Kākāriki.

Teanau Tuiono, Mema o te rārangi rōpū, Rōpū Kākāriki.

Karen Chhour, ACT List MP, Upper Harbour, ACT party.

Nicole McKee, ACT List MP, Rongotai, ACT party.