Hitler gets a mention in NZ Parliament
A member of the New Zealand Parliament has compared the country’s National Party to Adolf Hitler regarding legislation dealing with partial asset sales. She has apologised,
Megan Woods
Wigram Labour MP Megan Woods is reported as having said in Parliament: “Hitler had a pretty clear manifesto that he campaigned and won on. Does this make what he did OK?”
She tweeted her followers “My comments were said in heat and were extreme and I apologise.”
Inge Woolf, the Director of the Holocaust Centre in New Zealand, told J-Wire: “It is unfortunate that politicians find it so easy to compare policies they don’t approve of to those of Hitler. It shows how little thought they have given to their statements. It seems to be happening increasingly often.
If they truly understood what happened in Hitlers Germany they would surely know how offensive those statements are not only to Survivors like Freda Narev but to all those that suffered from Hitlers brutal policies.
Probably they have not studied the subject in any depth.. It is not a compulsory subject in schools here. I am pleased to note that Megan Woods has apologised and I would like to invite her to visit the Holocaust Centre of New Zealand.We would be glad to show her around.”
Stephen Goodman, the president of the New Zealand Jewish Council and the co-president of the Auckland Jewish COuncil added:m “We accept Megan Woods sincere apology and her comments as being both “unfortunate” and unintentional. While comment like these cause offense to both the Jewish and general community there no suggestion of intent to trivialise the Holocaust.”
