While there’ve been many complaints about Christchurch poet Tusiata Avia’s works in the book ‘The Savage Coloniser’, the commission has stopped short of censuring it.
Our courts also hold the belief that only the most shocking expressions of animosity that subsequently cause extreme acrimony, warrant action.
The commission added that though they’re assessing the complaints, art and satire come under a different context.
The complaints are largely driven by alleged racist, anti white, hate comments aimed at explorer Captain James Cook, in Avia’s poem depicting ‘brown girls, driving round in SUVs, looking for Cook’s descendants..white men..like you..to kill’
The poet has dismissed the criticisms, saying it’s about art, freedom of speech and context, indicating there’ll be no backdown.
