It has been revealed by 1News that Race Relations Commissioner Meng Foon donated thousands to his local Labour MP — the now-Justice Minister Kiri Allan.
1News revealed that Foon and his wife had donated thousands to East Coast Labour MP Kiri Allan while in his current Government post.
It comes after a turbulent few months for the Government's oversight of public service's political neutrality following the firing of Te Whatu Ora chairperson Rob Campbell after he criticised National leader Christopher Luxon on social media.
But who is Meng Foon?
Prior to being appointed as Race Relations Commissioner, Foon had been the longstanding mayor of Gisborne - serving six consecutive terms for 18 years.
The former mayor and his family have been prominent members of the community for decades. He became New Zealand's first Chinese mayor in 2001 and was known for his embrace of diversity as mayor.
Foon is fluent in te reo Māori, Cantonese and English.
The commissioner was also a former president of the New Zealand Chinese Association and a member of the New Zealand Rugby League Board.
Before entering politics, he was a local businessman who was a second-generation Asian retailer. He continues to own commercial property in the Gisborne area.
In 2018, Foon and family members sold Gisborne's largest mall — which had been valued at nearly $4 million and had been in their ownership for over two decades.
The Companies Register lists him as a current director of one company and former director of a further six, including Triple Eight Investments, which made a $9185 contribution to Kiri Allan. He is also listed as a current shareholder of four companies and a former shareholder of another nine.
How does he know Kiri Allan?
Kiri Allan is Foon's local electorate MP in Tairāwhiti.
The East Coast MP was born in Te Karaka, southwest of Gisborne's main centre — and later grew up in Paengaroa, which is 35km from Tauranga.
Their paths crossed while Foon was Mayor, such as at a launch of plans for a new terminal at Gisborne Airport in 2018.
Prior to becoming an MP, she was a commercial lawyer and business consultant in Wellington, Bay of Plenty, and the East Coast.
She managed a large agriculture and horticulture portfolio on the East Coast, according to her official biography, being heavily involved in new kiwifruit developments.
Allan first ran for the East Coast electorate in 2017 and lost to a tenured Anne Tolley but entered Parliament as a list MP. In 2020, she won the seat with a 24-point advantage against National's Tania Tapsell — who is now mayor of Rotorua.
As part of former prime minister Jacinda Ardern's Cabinet reshuffle last year, Allan was prompted to become Justice Minister. The minister appoints Human Rights Commissioners on five-year terms, including for the race relations portfolio.
What has Foon done as the Race Relations Commissioner?
Foon has been vocal on several fronts as the Race Relations Commissioner after being appointed in 2019 by the then-Justice Minister Andrew Little.
At the time, Little said: "He has an outstanding record as a relationship builder and walks comfortably in the pākehā world, the Māori world, the Chinese community and other communities making up New Zealand."
As the Race Relations Commissioner, Foon has advocated for te reo Māori classes to become a compulsory subject by 2027 alongside the teaching of history in schools.
The commissioner has butted heads with the Government over its deferred hate speech reforms after saying last year that ministers were "dragging their feet" on the changes proposed after the March 15 terrorist attacks.
Foon said it was a "very sad day" after Chris Hipkins deferred a watered-down version of the reforms as part of his policy bonfire in February: "I think it is a very sad day that such a straightforward amendment to legislation has been dropped in this way."
Meng Foon is set to meet with the Immigration Minister over the issues. (Source: 1News)
He has also defended co-governance, saying it "doesn't need to be the terrifying word" and rebuked anti-Asian sentiment amid the Covid pandemic.
Foon has also sparked controversy in the past four years as the commissioner.
Last month, ACT leader David Seymour said Foon should resign for not condemning Tusiata Avia's book, The Savage Coloniser, which spawned controversy after Creative New Zealand funded a stage show adaptation for the Auckland Arts Festival.
At the time, Seymour said the commissioner was "incapable of upholding human rights with any sort of consistency free of political bias.
"He’s not upholding human rights for all New Zealanders, just those who fit his personal political views and he needs to go."
In March 2021, Foon joined calls for TVNZ's Police Ten 7 programme to be cancelled after advocates said it was "low-level chewing gum TV that feeds on racial stereotypes".
During the debate over the issue, Foon said, "the police are racist" in comments he later apologised for — having said he "shouldn't stereotype" over systemic issues. Then-National leader Judith Collins claimed Foon set back race relations by 10 years.
A review later found the show portrayed Māori and Pacific individuals fairly but didn't try to discourage negative stereotypes.
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