The man playing Santa Claus has been recalled at the last minute for today’s Santa Parade after he was replaced last week for his ‘inappropriate’ comments.
After five years of appearing as Santa Claus in Auckland's Farmers Santa Parade, Neville Baker was replaced last week after he said he wouldn't hire women to play Father Christmas.
"They apply, and you say, 'have you misread the ad?' Putting politically correct things to one side, there's a certain character people expect to find when they come to meet Santa," Baker said.
In the wake of his comments parade organisers announced on November 24 they were no longer employing Santa through the My Santa company.
"We are distancing ourselves from this company. We found his comments to be inappropriate and unnecessary and will not be using their services for the parade," said Michael Barnett, chairman of the Children's Christmas Parade Trust which runs the parade.
Barnett said Baker's comments "did not sound like the values of a family parade".
The parade is scheduled to start today at 1pm after it was postponed last week due to poor weather.
Baker told the New Zealand Herald last night he was told he would be reinstated.
"Putting all this behind me, it's all about the children, it's all about the parade and making sure that goes ahead,” he said.
The organisers’ decision to part ways with Baker was a very controversial issue with a lot of people believing Baker should not have been removed from the role.
A Herald online poll of 34,000 readers found 90 percent said he shouldn’t have been removed.
Fine weather in Auckland today sees the parade on schedule for a 1pm kick-off.
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