Readers may remember a Northland boy (born in Taranaki but overcame such impediment) by the name of Hiwi Tauroa who was NZ’s race relation conciliator during the late seventies and eighties .
About the same time, there bestrode the stages of theatre, radio and television another Maori colossus, one Billy T James. (Adolf was lucky enough to be taken to a Billy T live concert in Dunedin. I had not realised he was a very good singer.)
During the mid eighties there circulated a great little story which could have come straight from Billy T’s ‘Te News.’
A young Maori chap was driving home from the pub and was going from one side of the road to the other.
The cops pulled him over and the Senior Sergeant said ‘Sir, you’ve been observed driving erratically so would you please blow into this bag?’
Maori Boy looked up and laughed. ‘I don’t have to blow in that bag, eh!
Why not? said the Senior Sergeant.
‘I got this letter from my doctor, says I got asthma. If you make me blow in that bag I might drop dead right here and the Commissioner wouldn’t like that, eh!
That’s alright said the Senior Sergeant. We’ll just go down to the police station and take a blood sample.
‘But I don’t have to do that, eh!
Why not? said the Senior Sergeant.
‘Coz I got this letter from my other doctor. He says I got haema, haema, haema – oh fuck it – if you stick a needle in me I might bleed to death on the police station floor and the Commissioner wouldn’t like that, eh!
Hmmmmmmm thought the Senior Sergeant. I’ll fix this cheeky young prick.
Sir, if you’ll step out of your car, we’ll just take a urine sample in this bottle .
‘Noooooooo! laughed Maori Boy. I got this letter from Hiwi Tauroa and he says you fuckin’ coppers not allowed to take the piss out of us Maori boys!
Hoo hoo haa haa haa haaaaaaaaaaaaa………..
No Minister 
Hiwi Tauroa- probably the best race relations commissioner ever – the dolt Meng Foon could learn a lot from looking back on how Tauroa did the job.
Tauroa was a pretty good coach of the Counties Rugby team too I believe.
Agreed pdm, Tauroa was the best I’ve witnessed but it has never ceased to amuse me that the criteria required to be RRC is itself, racist.
Hiwi Tauroa was the Dean of Agriculture at HTHS when I was a pupil there (different stream). He was hugely respected. I well remember one day in the fourth form when I got into trouble with my mate who was Maori (can’t for the life of me remember what it was we did or did not do). Anyway, we ended up in front of Hiwi. He gave me 4 strokes of the cane on my bum. My mate got 6. When he said ‘why 6 when he only got 4 (Sir)’ Hiwi replied ‘You’re Maori and I expect better from you’. Happy daze.
About ten years ago I was driving up to the Wangoroa Golf Course. I passed a very old and bowed Maori gentleman walking slowly along the road. He looked familiar. I stopped. It was Hiwi. We has a bit of a chat. I mentioned that incident … he remembered it. We had a good laugh.