Minister made Muslim jokes before his racism remarks

Maurice Williamson

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Building Minister Maurice Williamson cracked jokes about Muslims at an awards ceremony – just days before he accused Kiwis of racism over foreign ownership.

Mr Williamson climbed on stage to present two awards and asked MC Oscar Kightley, the Samoan star of Sione's Wedding, if his "papers were in order".

He went on to tell jokes making fun of Islam. One asked: "What is the difference between Muslims and Kiwis? Muslims get to commit adultery and get stoned, Kiwis get stoned and commit adultery."

Mr Williamson also quipped about the weather being "Shi'ite in the morning and Sunni in the afternoon," a reference to the two main denominations of the religion.

Mr Williamson was a guest of honour at the New Zealand Institute of Building awards for excellence in the building industry on August 20. About 500 guests attended the bash at Auckland's Rendezvous Hotel.

On September 2, he told a Massey University conference that, "The number of New Zealanders who don't like the idea of overseas investment and think it's really a bad thing, really sort of frightens me, and it's really amazing that some of them have actually got Pommie accents."

Kightley, a member of the comedy group Naked Samoans who write the animated series bro'Town, said he thought the remark directed at him was "a bit fresh".

"I guess me, as an MC, was a natural target. He said it on stage. It didn't really offend me. The last person you'd expect it from is the minister."

Kightley said Mr Williamson's performance seemed to go down well with the crowd. "As I recall he was very funny and the crowd liked it. I doubt he would have made those jokes in another setting."

At the time, he didn't think Mr Williamson had been drinking. "Someone told me later he'd had a few, but I didn't think he was stumbling or slurring or anything. He was in fine fettle. But he was definitely in a nice and relaxed and jovial mood."

Mr Williamson refused to comment last night. "I'm in a meeting about the Christchurch earthquake with a whole lot of people and can't actually talk to you," he said.

When approached later by a reporter and asked repeatedly about the remarks he walked away. Other guests said they believed Mr Williamson was drinking at the ceremony.

One said he thought the remarks were "not appropriate".

"To be honest he was trying to be a bit of a lad.

"I couldn't tell you he offended anyone. It was a load of builders. It was right at the end of the night and there was quite a lot of alcohol."