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'She's barely coffee-coloured': Businessman's spokeswoman hits back at Maori woman who accused him of racism - after he called her birthplace a 'white man's island'

By Leith Huffadine For Daily Mail Australia

Published: 09:44 EDT, 4 January 2017 | Updated: 11:57 EDT, 4 January 2017



A businessman's spokeswoman has hit back at a Maori woman who accused him of racism saying: 'She's barely coffee-coloured.'

Earlier this week, New Zealand woman Lara Bridger, 23, posted a video to social media detailing a conversation she had with businessman Sir Peter Leitch on Waiheke Island near Auckland.

She claims Sir Peter said she was not a local of the island because it was a 'white man's island'.

Ms Bridger's video was viewed almost 100,000 times but has since been deleted.
 Waiheke Island-born woman Lara Bridger, 23, claims she was told by a prominent white New Zealand businessman she didn't belong on the island Prime Minister of New Zealand John Key with the 'Mad Butcher' Sir Peter Leitch - whom Ms Bridger says upset her with his comments Sir Peter's spokeswoman, Michelle Boag, said his comments couldn't have been racist as Ms Bridger was 'barely coffee-coloured' Waiheke Island (pictured) is located in the Hauraki Gulf near Auckland, New Zealand

Responding to the video, Sir Peter's spokeswoman Michelle Boag told Maori Television his comments could not have been racist as Ms Bridger was 'barely coffee-coloured' - a reference to her being a light-skinned Maori woman.

She also claimed Ms Bridger only made the video because she 'wanted to be famous'.

In the video, Ms Bridger says Sir Peter - who is nicknamed 'The Mad Butcher' for his chain of butcheries - told them not to drink and drive.




She reassured him she would not be and her mother would be the one driving home as she was not drinking.

Ms Bridger then claims Sir Peter made the suggestion they were not local but Ms Bridger said she was in fact born on the island.

To this, he said it was a 'white man's island' and she needed to acknowledge that. Ms Bridger made the now-deleted video after meeting Sir Peter at a Waiheke Island vineyard Ms Bridger said in the video that Sir Peter's comments had upset her

'Ok, I'm f**king upset you know... I was f**king born here and people like him think that wow, because they have millions of dollars they can come here and f**king this is their island,' Ms Bridger said in her video.

After she uploaded the video, Sir Peter defended himself, saying he was 'extremely disappointed that a young woman on Waiheke Island had misinterpreted some light-hearted banter he had with her', the New Zealand Herald reported.

He also said he 'apologised unreservedly'.

Ms Bridger deleted the video from social media, stating: 'Deleted the vid as my point was made. I was just upset that someone whom I once looked up to had that mentality.

'People were going a bit overboard with threats and racist comments... Waiheke is a beautiful place everyone should be able to enjoy.'

Ms Bridger said she intended to contact him and hoped he would understand why she was upset. A 2010 photograph shows former NRL Warriors team captain Benji Marshall and Sir Peter together The incident is claimed to have occurred at a vineyard on Waiheke Island



White businessman hits back at New Zealand Maori woman who accused him of racism
