The University of Auckland was under fire after a picture of a designated study space for Māori and Pasifika students surfaced online.

The University has since claimed they're obligated to respond to the needs of their diverse student population with facilities, spaces and support.

ACT's Parmjeet Parmar has expressed concern over race becoming a big agenda item for more organizations. 

"The discussion is really important in my view. Because we don't want to go backwards, we all have fought hard for the values of inclusivity, and we need to stand by those values."

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