William of the White Hand
Junior News Editor
Note for readers: Chris Carter is an openly gay multicult which sort of makes this story doubly amusing. Not everyone is smiling.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,3133220a11,00.html
MP's card backfires in holiday howler
19 December 2004
By AMIE RICHARDSON
Memo to the minister of ethnic affairs: not everyone celebrates Christmas.
Chris Carter, the minister responsible for maintaining government relations with ethnic communities, has made a festive faux pas after sending a Christmas card to a member of Dunedin's Jewish Congregation.
"He should've known better," said the congregation's treasurer, Ted Friedlander. "He should've thought about it.
"I was surprised that I got it; it's his name and signat
ure on the card. It's ignorance. We don't get Christmas cards from anybody else or if we get them from friends,
they have something like 'best wishes for the festive season'."
The offending greeting - unlike some of the more neutral festive cards that do not mention the holiday by name - says: "Have a great Christmas and all the best for the New Year."
The card was also sent to other ethnic organisations, including the Federation of Islamic Associations, but Carter said no offence was intended.
"He receives literally dozens of messages from ethnic communities each year at times when festivals are on," a spokesman for the minister said.
"He was simply expressing goodwill at a time of year that is important to him and he hopes his actions would be seen in the spirit of Christmas."
Other politicians are more careful with the card's greeting - Prime Minister Helen Clark avoids naming the holiday and pops in the message:
"Season's Greetings and Best Wishes for 2005."
Jewish Council president David Zwartz said it was clear Carter meant no offence, but, he should have thought about the card's
wording.
Zwartz said he received Christmas cards from parliamentarians but was not offended by them. "They send cards as a gesture of goodwill. I'm sure with the minister he just hadn't thought about it."
Federation of Islamic Associations president Javed Khan said he appreciated Carter's greeting card and saw it as an expression of goodwill.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,3133220a11,00.html
MP's card backfires in holiday howler
19 December 2004
By AMIE RICHARDSON
Memo to the minister of ethnic affairs: not everyone celebrates Christmas.
Chris Carter, the minister responsible for maintaining government relations with ethnic communities, has made a festive faux pas after sending a Christmas card to a member of Dunedin's Jewish Congregation.
"He should've known better," said the congregation's treasurer, Ted Friedlander. "He should've thought about it.
"I was surprised that I got it; it's his name and signat
ure on the card. It's ignorance. We don't get Christmas cards from anybody else or if we get them from friends,
they have something like 'best wishes for the festive season'."
The offending greeting - unlike some of the more neutral festive cards that do not mention the holiday by name - says: "Have a great Christmas and all the best for the New Year."
The card was also sent to other ethnic organisations, including the Federation of Islamic Associations, but Carter said no offence was intended.
"He receives literally dozens of messages from ethnic communities each year at times when festivals are on," a spokesman for the minister said.
"He was simply expressing goodwill at a time of year that is important to him and he hopes his actions would be seen in the spirit of Christmas."
Other politicians are more careful with the card's greeting - Prime Minister Helen Clark avoids naming the holiday and pops in the message:
"Season's Greetings and Best Wishes for 2005."
Jewish Council president David Zwartz said it was clear Carter meant no offence, but, he should have thought about the card's
wording.
Zwartz said he received Christmas cards from parliamentarians but was not offended by them. "They send cards as a gesture of goodwill. I'm sure with the minister he just hadn't thought about it."
Federation of Islamic Associations president Javed Khan said he appreciated Carter's greeting card and saw it as an expression of goodwill.