Heather du Plessis-Allan under fire for saying Pacific people are 'leeches' on NZ

Saturday, 15 September 2018

The radio host referred to the island as a 'hell hole' that 'doesn't matter.'

Heather du Plessis-Allan has come under fire for saying Pacific people are 'leeches' on New Zealand.

During a Wellington broadcast of Newstalk ZB, the host discussed Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern's decision to visit Nauru.

Du Plessis Allan referred to the island as a 'hell hole', and said it was not worth attending the Forum anyway because the Pacific Islands 'don't matter.'

'They are nothing but leeches on us. The Pacific Islands wants money from us,' she told listeners.

* Story host Heather du Plessis-Allan axed from Mediaworks

Jacinda Ardern says NZ is ready and willing to take refugees from Nauru and Manus Island. (Video first published in August 2018)

* The real Heather du Plessis-Allan**

Heather du Plessis Allan and her employers are heading to the Broadcasting Standards Authority after she declared Pacific Islanders are 'leaches'

— Michael Field (@MichaelFieldNZ) September 12, 2018

Samoan-born New Zealand actor and Sunday News columnist Oscar Kightley says the radio station 'owes our Pasifika neighbours an apology' for du Plessis-Allan's comments.

'Does Newstalk ZB in Wellington not think it has any Pacific Island listeners? Or do they think their listeners are all bigots who want to hear this stuff or they'll change stations. Although, there has been no outrage from their advertisers so who knows?' Kightley wrote in his Sunday News column.

'This broadcaster should know that when they slag off the Pacific Islands, they're also slagging off the nearly 300,000 Pasifika people who call New Zealand home. It's not like we're going to say: 'It's okay, she only means the islanders back there, not us.'

Privacy Commissioner John Edwards took to Twitter to criticise the broadcasters comments.

I’ve been thinking about this since I heard @HDPA’s comments on @MediawatchNZ this morning. Hey Heather - words REALLY do matter. Check this out and maybe think twice about calling people leeches, or cockroaches, or other non human things next time https://t.co/7v0wQFgSGy https://t.co/4ARr8CnArR

— John Edwards (@JCE_PC) September 9, 2018

Formal complaints have been made to Newstalk ZB by some listeners. Du Plessis-Allan, Newstalk ZB and NZME did not reply to requests for comment.