10 Feb 2020

Packed gallery for Bob Jones defamation trial

From Checkpoint, 5:43 pm on 10 February 2020

The first day of the defamation trial taken by Sir Bob Jones has kicked off at the Wellington High Court to a packed gallery.

It relates to a petition by filmmaker Renae Maihi, who called for Sir Robert's knighthood to be revoked after he said that Waitangi Day should be replaced with Māori Gratitude day in a National Business Review column in 2018.

In his column Sir Bob Jones said Maori should bring Pākēhā breakfast in bed, and weed their gardens out of gratitude for existing - which his defence claims was satire.

Meriana Johnsen was in court and filed this report.