Wednesday, August 19, 2020



Reviewing colonialism

Auckland Council is finally reviewing the future of its colonial statues:

A review of colonial-era monuments is underway to determine whether they should be removed, given their link to racial inequality in New Zealand’s past. The move comes after three monuments were vandalised in June, including a statue of former prime minister Sir George Grey in Albert Park which lost its finger and nose. Auckland Council will engage with local iwi before deciding on whether to keep the statues later in the year.
Hopefully the review will see them removed and replaced with monuments that celebrate the New Zealand we have become, rather than the one we were. Its not like we're short of options: The Spinoff has lists of both Māori and Pakeha who we could be celebrating. And if not, well, I guess people will just have to keep chipping away at it.