At Muse we respect our elders, but often wish they didn't make it so damn difficult. However this charmless item on Morning Report, has focused Muse's final major policy release of the 2011 campaign season.
Grey Power is being criticised for calling on Auckland Council to review the number of Asian immigrants in the city.
As part of a submission for Auckland Council's 30-year plan, the lobby group asked for a forum to look at the changing face of Auckland and the impact of different cultures.
Grey Power's submission is based on population forecasts which suggest the Asian community will be the dominant ethnic group in Auckland by 2040.
Auckland regional director Bill Rayner says the proposal is not meant to offend anyone, but many of its members want the country's population to remain Pacific-based and not have such a large Asian component.
With all due disrespect to Mr. Rayner, if his organisation doesn't mean to be offensive it really should try not putting its name to submissions that sound like a Winston First press release.
The only think that can be said in favour is that it's nowhere near as bizarre as as this pre-senile bigot in last Thursday's issue of The Aucklander:
Des Dunlop is a sixth generation New Zealander. He's seen the country go through a lot of changes - some he's not too sure about. And he's not afraid to speak his mind about them.
"Us old guys go to town and it's a case of 'spot the white man'," says the 71-year-old Milford resident. "I don't want to live in a culture where we're the minority. I don't want to see the city overrun with people from Asian countries."
Big deal. My whanau have been here for at least six centuries. Doesn't make me any less of an arse-bag when I spout ignorant, bigoted foofy-tosh in public. It does get a lot worse - Dunlop's penetrating analysis of the Asian penchant for "dogbox" housing and incomprehensible old bludgers scamming free bus rides is just precious. But I couldn't bother writing another futile detailed rebuttal of immigrant-bashing after reading this:
Mr Dunlop isn't afraid of being called a racist.
"I'm entitled to say what I like, when I like, where I like and how I like. That's the way I was brought up."
And so he is. Just as I might be perfectly entitled to find his address on the electoral roll, publish it and encourage the Yellow Peril to stage a rolling flash-mob outside his house. Ethnic cooking smells, pagan cultural practices and weird jibber-jabber not only welcome but obligatory. With any luck, it would frighten the racist old fool to death before he brings further shame on the neighbourhood.
The hook in this plan is that it's a dreadfully inefficient use of time that could be better spent running takeaway bars and being good at math.
Wouldn't it kinder and more cost-effective if all these miserable, terrified old white people were released from their suffering? The first act of a Muse-lead Government will be to lower the compulsory retirement age to 30 immediately. Instead of trying to pay for pensions, we will wipe out youth unemployment (and pretty much everyone else) by following the blueprint laid out in science fiction classic Logan's Run.
You know in your heart it makes sense. Be strong. Renew!