Male only Nelson Club to consider future of 'racist' member
Friday, 16 August 2019
The exclusive male-only Nelson Club is divided over whether a man accused of making racist comments should remain a member.
The man, who is a committee member of the club, is the subject of a complaint which followed the Christchurch mosque attack, emails reveal.
It related to his behaviour at a Christmas function last year.
The man is accused of holding 'white supremacist' views after he was alleged to have said 'all Muslims will rape our wives and daughters and they are coming to take over New Zealand'.
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He's also alleged to have claimed there is scientific evidence that 'Blacks have a lower IQ than Whites', that homosexuals have a 'sickness' and that Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is a communist and, if she were re-elected, he would potentially move back to the United Kingdom.
The man was once a member of far-right political party, the British National Party (BNP), when he lived in the UK.
The BNP was formed in 1982, by the co-founder of the National Front, and primarily campaigns against all forms of immigration.
The man who heard these comments lodged the complaint following the Christchurch shooting, some months after the conversation took place.
But in May this year, the club leadership voted unanimously not to uphold the complaint.
The complainant has now left the club and did not wish to provide a comment, but said he wished the Nelson Club no harm.
In a statement to the club, seen by Stuff, the man accused of making the comments did not deny making them, but was emphatic that while he holds 'strong views', he is not a white supremacist.
He said the comments were made as part of an alcohol-fuelled discussion where he and the complainant were baiting each other.
He said he referred 'to the fact I did not like the rapid spread of Islam in the West', and the complainant responded by saying 'Christianity is like cancer'.
The conversation 'spiralled' and the man said by the end he could see the complainant's 'feelings had been hurt'.
He apologised to the complainant when he bumped into him a couple of days later and they shook hands - the complainant accepts this happened.
The man denies the BNP is a neo-Nazi facist group and says he was only a member for a short time, leaving the party two years before coming to New Zealand.
He says the complaint was 'spurred on' after the 'horrific Christchurch mosque shooting'.
The man says while he holds strong views, and will 'often air them', he does not incite violence or hatred, and his views don't and shouldn't represent the views of the Nelson Club.
'I have never expressed my views officially on any club talks, or correspondence during my time as a member, committee member, or president,' he said in the statement.
'I am absolutely NOT a white supremacist and welcome any member to have a discussion with me on my views.'
He said members should be able to share their opposing and varied views openly 'without fear of being persecuted for them'.
A number of concerned emails from other members, however, along with discussion within the club and committee, has seen the issue brought back to the table.
A meeting will take place on Friday which will address the issue and likely see members debate the future of the man's membership.
The former president, who was on the committee at the time of the May hearing, had earlier tried to have the matter re-heard but a meeting was unable to take place and he resigned.
He is overseas and has declined to comment at this stage.
However, one email seen by Stuff revealed the leadership came to the unanimous decision 'within one minute', in favour of the man.
It's understood some members are concerned the committee is proposing a rule change that would prevent members from speaking to media, or those outside the club, about any club matters.
Another email contained a memorandum from a member who accused the committee of blocking proposed motions that would allow a vote on the man's membership in the club.
It outlined a suggested motion that would express a vote of 'no confidence' in the way the committee handled the complaint and suggest the accused member voluntary resign and formally apologise.
The committee denied the motion.
The member plans to propose a motion at today's meeting that 'expels' the accused and refunds any membership costs that have been paid for 2019/20.
That member also declined to provide any comment ahead of Friday's meeting.
Statements and emails from both parties involved in the matter were distributed to members ahead of the meeting, and have been subsequently leaked to Stuff.
Both the concerned member and the current president of the Nelson Club have been approached for comment.
The exclusive Nelson Club, which sits on prime real estate in the Nelson CBD, has been at its Selwyn Place site since 1903 and has a little more than 100 current members.