05 August 2007

Riccarton-Wigram City Council candidate, Tony Milne, today condemned the race-based attack on a Chinese student in Riccarton this week.

"Our city must show no tolerance to violence and race hate attacks", Tony Milne said.

Police are investigating the attack on the 22-year-old Christchurch Polytechnic Institute of Technology student after three white men with shaven heads and wearing masks forced their way into his Mandeville Street, Riccarton, flat at 5am on Wednesday.

"I'm absolutely shocked that a group of young men would invade someone's home to attack them just because of their race. Our community must not accept such violence and must say loud and clear to new New Zealanders that we condemn such behaviour", Tony Milne said.

"The ward I hope to represent on City Council Riccarton-Wigram has the largest proportion of Chinese and Korean people in Christchurch. I am proud of such diversity and the role that those communities play in Christchurch", Tony Milne said.

Mayoral Candidate, Dr Megan Woods, has also condemned such violence.

"My sympathies go out to this young man and his girlfriend. My message to him is - this is not the Christchurch way and decent Christchurch people are ashamed at such behaviour. If elected Mayor of Christchurch I will celebrate ethnic diversity and will make it clear that race-based violence is unacceptable", Megan Woods said.

Contact: Tony Milne on 021 59 32 59
2021 Council candidate for Riccarton Wigram