John MacDonald: No Karakia? Then no sneaky ciggie breaks, either

David Seymour is out there fighting for the angry white guy, with this move to stop what he calls “race-based hiring requirements” in the public sector. I know about the angry white guy. Because I almost became one myself. Which I’ll tell you about. But what the ACT leader is saying today, is that the decision whether-or-not to give someone a job in the public service should only be based on their skills, their experience and their suitability for the role. He says: “Public service jobs should go to the best person for the job, regardless of race.” Which is going to be music to the ears of people who think they’ve lost out on a job because they had the wrong colour skin. ACT is also making music for people already working in the public sector who get brassed-off when they turn up to a meeting and nothing happens until there’s been a Māori Karakia blessing. David Seymour says government workers shouldn’t be expected to take part in spiritual practices just because they work for the government. He says: “Taxpayers should not be required to fund staff time or other resources for employer-initiated spiritual activity, either.” What are we talking about here, though? 15 or 30 seconds for a Karakia? That’s about it. Max. If David Seymour’s so worried about this all happening on taxpayer time, what about all those government workers who hang around outside sucking on cigarettes and vapes when they should be working? In David Seymour’s world, it’s OK for workers to do that while they’re clocked on. But they can’t possibly ‘waste’ 15-to-30 seconds doing a Karakia before a meeting. Because, generally, that’s how long these take. I know, because I’ve been in public sector meetings it happens. Which brings me to the story of how I almost became one of the angry white guys that David Seymour is fighting for today. I was working at Oranga Tamariki a few years back when the late Wira Gardiner took over as chief executive. And, as he settled into the job, I could tell that there was change happening. That there were a lot more Māori joining the organisation. Even in non-frontline areas, where I was working. Initially, I started to feel like I was on the outer. Because of the colour of my skin. And, for a while there, I started to resent it a bit. But the more I thought about it and learnt about the organisation needing to get away from being the outfit that had done a very good job of separating families - particularly Māori families - it made sense. It made sense to have people working across the organisation who live and breathe Māori culture. And, once I realised that, I pulled back from the brink of becoming another angry white guy. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.