20 Jul 2015

MSD starts investigation after racial slur

8:09 pm on 20 July 2015

The Ministry of Social Development (MSD) is launching a full investigation after it was alleged a Work and Income employee used racist language outside a bar in Taupō.

Another employee, a woman, has also been stood down.

A screenshot from the video posted by Tamehana Tai-Rakena on Facebook.

A screenshot from the video posted by Tamehana Tai-Rakena on Facebook. Photo: FACEBOOK

The confrontation, between bar staff and a man and a woman, happened at the weekend.

The ministry said the pair have been stood down while the investigation continues.

Tamehana Tai-Rakena posted a video on Facebook showing a man using racist language against both him and his colleague while he was working as a doorman outside the bar.

A woman also verbally abused the bar staff after both were refused entry to the bar.

Mr Tai-Rakena can be heard telling them they are too intoxicated to be allowed in and the man responds by making racist comments against both him and his co-worker.

On Facebook, Mr Tai-Rakena wrote that he did not know the staff were from Work and Income until someone told him.

He said he was threatened and told gang members would visit him.

Mr Tai-Rakena went on to say that to be told the pair worked for Work and Income "blew him away".

The Ministry of Social Development said in a statement that it had already met with a number of parties, including the bar staff who were abused, and it would not tolerate poor behaviour or racist language.

It said that, in the interests of a fair process, the investigation needed to be completed before it could comment further.

Warning: the video in the following link contains language that may offend - link.