New Zealand University Criticised for ‘Designated Area’ for Indigenous Students

Governing party, the ACT, has campaigned against race-based laws and regulations in the country.

A "hikoi" walks towards the Waitangi Treaty grounds in Waitangi, New Zealand on Feb. 6, 2023. The Waitangi Day national holiday celebrates the signing of the treaty of Waitangi on Feb. 6, 1840 by Maori chiefs and the British Crown, that granted the Maori people the rights of British Citizens and ownership of their lands and other properties. Fiona Goodall/Getty Images

The University of Auckland has come under criticism from the ACT Party over a photo of what appears to be a segregated space that only allows access to Maori and Pasifika students.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter) on March 26, ACT, headed by David Seymour and part of the country’s tri-party government, posted a picture of a sign that read, “This is a designated area for Maori and Pasifika students. Thank you.”