A controversial Facebook page entitled ‘The Pakeha Party' is sparking a reaction in Tauranga residents with a local radio station receiving record feedback from listeners.

Moana Radio station DJ Pat Spellman received the biggest reaction from listeners during a talk time feedback section on the page that advocates for equal Pakeha/Maori rights he has ever had at the station.

Pakeha Party Facebook Page has more than 50,000 likes. Inset: Its creator David Ruck. Photo: TV3.

But Pat believes the hype will not translate to support for a registered political party.

Created on June 20 by Auckland businessman David Ruck, the page caused a flood of passionate postings on Facebook from throughout the country – and yesterday hit 50,000 ‘likes', and nearly 20,000 profile users ‘talking about this'.

The party's page lists itself as a non-government organisation for 'equal rights and benefits for the Pakeha of New Zealand”. Its stated mission is 'any additional benefits the Maori ask for exclusively for Maori - we ask for the same things for Pakeha”.

Pat says he initially planned to discuss the page with listeners in a seven-minute segment –which turned into an hour-long episode, with staff receiving at least 100 calls.

'It was probably the most reaction I've had from my audience in the last three years of doing my show. We spent the best part of an hour talking about it on the radio,” says Pat.

'I'm a huge advocate of people being able to say what they want and feel, but I think the whole thing is a joke – the Pakeha Party is in essence a complete contradiction to what they're saying, because ‘Pakeha' is actually a Maori word.”

Pat believes the hype over the page has come from its recent airing on prime-time current affairs television in New Zealand and as a topic on talkback radio.

'You could put a red tin can on Campbell Live, and Seven Sharp on TVNZ, and then get 50,000 people to like a [Facebook] page. So I don't think the numbers necessarily speak volumes for its support,” says Pat.

'I think New Zealand is a curious nation, and whenever you put anything on 7 o'clock current affairs shows – it's going to be huge. As soon as you're on that platform you're Facebook page advances to the level the Pakeha Party is at.”

Pat, who works for 'a predominantly Maori radio station” in Tauranga, was surprised to receive feedback from right across the board.

'I thought the opinion would be one-sided. But a lot of people continue to ask the question that ‘if there's a Maori Party surely there should be allowed to be a Pakeha Party?' which I suppose is a far enough question.”

But Pat does not think support exists for creation of an election party, based on the Pakeha Party page.

'There's a difference between a social media presence and being able to convince 500 people to financially back you, which is what you need to do to become a political party in NZ.”

'I guarantee now, this is just a phase and the novelty will wear off.”

Out of the 100 calls Moana Radio took on Tuesday afternoon, Pat estimates 25 people supported the page, or were 'in support of the notion of free speech, not necessarily agreeing with what the page is saying, but agreeing with the right to say what they think or feel”.

He makes the point that Facebook users cannot actually post on the page until they ‘like' the page.

'So you can't actually argue with the people on the page, and moderators on the page … so I'd say two-thirds of the people on there are there to argue with the point.”

Pat believes the page could be divisive for race relations in New Zealand.

'If it was an absolute forum for discussion, absolutely I would agree with it. But this page … all it is, is bickering and pointing at some unfortunate stats [statistics] and trying to use those to justify the argument that Maori people are taking this country for a ride, which I don't think is fair.”

Founder David Ruck told TV3 News yesterday he believes the page has become popular because it covers a subject that is always discussed behind closed doors.

But David also says he's found people are using the page as a venting vehicle and that he does not condone the racist comments and has since decided to moderate the page.

'This has all happened within the space of three to four days and it's been a huge media circus and a huge storm on Facebook … the reality is it's just a simple statement that I made on Facebook I assumed was just to my friends as being a bit of a joke. But of course, being a public forum it caught on and went crazy.”

David has told TV3 the initial name of the page was intended to be a ‘tongue in cheek' stab at a Mana Party's proposal to build cheap housing for Maori only.

'I've been enlightened by the NZ Herald that they intend to build cheap housing for everybody.”

David also says while he did not initially setup the page with political intentions, he now feels, 'as though I'm letting the country down if I didn't get something sorted out and handed over”.

The Auckland businessman also told TV3 News he looks to use comments received on the page to help form an election party with policies chosen via rating from page's users through a ‘yes' ‘no' option box.