RE: Dame Susan Devoy's column ‘We can't afford complacency in race relations' (The NZ Herald, January 22).

Dame Susan, your recent column shows how ill-equipped you are to fill objectively the sinecure role to which you've been appointed.

Your statement 'That sport had nothing to do with politics was not only naive but wrong” is only your opinion, an opinion that wasn't supported by half of all New Zealanders at the time.

During the 1981 Springbok Tour the Russian Bolshoi Ballet was visiting New Zealand and although Russia was then denying political freedom to 10 times as many people in Eastern Europe as was apartheid in South Africa, John Minto and his cohorts staged no protests against them.

Your appointment to Race Relations Commissioner in March, 2013, was criticised by Maori Party member Te Ururoa Flavell, Ngapuhi leader David Rankin and Mana Party president Annette Sykes because you'd suggested the Waitangi Day celebrations should be replaced.

Your appointment was also lampooned in verse. You've certainly come into line now, by saying 'The everyday racism some of us face”.

I face daily when I see the special and exclusive treatment afforded to Maori in education, health and social services or when I reflect on the Waitangi Tribunal, the Maori Party, Maori monopoly of all welcomes to overseas guests, the composition of Constitutional Advisory Panel, the ethnic imbalance of control at Te Papa and un-elected Maori being appointed to national, regional and local committees and councils and afforded voting rights. When I see the corruption of the Treaty not only by Maori revisionists but by academics, legal authorities, officials, government agencies and politicians to justify the granting of 48 per cent of our fisheries and 36 per cent of our forestry to 14 per cent of the population.

When I consider the mindless chatter about non-existent principles of the Treaty and the partnership of Maori and the Crown made by loose-lipped politicians.
I'm concerned when many of the actions and words made by you in pursuance of your duties seem less than objective to many of us.

Yes, Dame Susan, we have some way to go.

Bryan Johnson, Omokoroa.

Editor's Note:
The Sun team approached the New Zealand Human Rights Commission's senior media specialist asking Dame Susan if she wanted to reply to this letter, and at time of print, had not received a reply.