Geoff Parker: One Standard for All - Why Race Has No Place in Modern Law

In a modern democracy, equality before the law should be more than a slogan — it should be the foundation upon which every citizen stands. Yet many of our laws and government policies contain references to race or ethnicity. What might once have been seen as a gesture toward fairness has instead become a barrier to it. Removing all mention of race and ethnicity from legislation would be a bold step toward a truly equal society — one in which citizenship, not ancestry, defines our rights and responsibilities.

The principle is simple: the law should treat every person the same. When the law singles out one group for special treatment — whether by preference, funding, consultation rights, or representation — it ceases to be neutral. It moves from serving the common good to serving selected interests. This undermines social cohesion and breeds resentment among citizens who see themselves as being treated unequally by their own government.

When laws are blind to race, everyone is assured the same protection and opportunity. It removes the temptation for governments to divide citizens into categories of privilege or grievance. It also restores a sense of shared purpose — that we all contribute to, and benefit from, the same nation under the same rules.

Proponents of race-based provisions often argue they are necessary to correct historical injustices or to recognise cultural difference. These are worthy goals, but they should be achieved through universal measures — not racial ones. Poverty, poor health, and low educational attainment are not confined to any single ethnic group, and policies that target disadvantage directly, rather than ethnicity, will help those who actually need it. A family struggling to pay rent or feed their children deserves support because they are struggling, not because of the colour of their skin.

Maintaining race-based laws also risks freezing society in old categories that no longer reflect who we are. New Zealand, like most democracies, has become a nation of mixed ancestry and shared identity. Most of us are descended from more than one culture, and many reject being placed in a racial box at all. Insisting that the state must still divide its citizens by ethnicity is to ignore this reality and to keep alive distinctions that modern life has already outgrown.

There is also a practical cost. Race-specific clauses complicate legislation, slow decision-making, and invite endless disputes about who qualifies as belonging to which group. Instead of focusing on outcomes — cleaner rivers, better schools, safer streets — governments are drawn into identity politics and bureaucratic wrangling. Public trust erodes when people sense that some voices count more than others.

A colour-blind legal framework would not erase culture or history. It would simply ensure that the state itself is impartial. People would remain free to celebrate their heritage, speak their language, and practise their traditions — as individuals and communities — but without the government picking favourites. Equality before the law would apply in practice, not just in theory.

Removing race from legislation would also bring our legal system into closer alignment with the values we already claim to hold: fairness, unity, and respect for every person’s dignity. It would make clear that the state belongs to all citizens equally — not to any tribe, ancestry, or cultural group. It would reaffirm that rights flow from being a citizen of the nation, not a member of an ethnicity.

The time has come to move beyond race-based lawmaking. We cannot build a cohesive and confident future while our legal code keeps reminding us of our divisions. A single legal standard for all — one people under one law — is not a radical idea. It is the essence of democracy itself.

Geoff Parker is a passionate advocate for equal rights and a colour blind society.