The New Zealand health minister has found himself in the position of having to deny he took fake cocaine at a primary school fundraising event.
Northcote school in Auckland ran a Las Vegas-themed function for adults that was attended by parents and friends of the school, including the health minister, Jonathan Coleman. He is the local MP for the area.
Among the decorations and props were trays of fake cocaine, made from icing sugar, and disposable razors.
Coleman was asked on Tuesday by reporters whether he had tried any of the ‘cocaine’.
“Of course not,” he said. “I was there all night. And frankly I didn’t even know that this prop was there.”
Coleman called the furore over the fake cocaine “a massive beat-up”.
“So call me naive but look, the school and no one there is condoning drug use.”
The school board chairman, Andrew Fox, said he was unsure how many prop trays of cocaine were laid out at the event but he was aware of at least one in the women’s toilet.
“In hindsight it was inappropriate. We were having a little bit of a satirical play on Vegas but we got it wrong and have apologised to the parents who had an issue with it.
“It was an R18, adult-themed event and no children were present at any time during the night.
“I cannot comment on whether Dr Coleman was aware of the trays, I don’t know.”
Many parents who were not at the fundraiser expressed their outrage at the fake cocaine on social media, saying the stunt was “inappropriate” and “stupid” as many of Northcote’s children had access to images of the event that were shared.
Northcote primary school was contacted for comment.
