But after serving the maximum two terms, she was not replaced.
Chief Human Rights Commissioner Paul Hunt has also implored the government to appoint an Indigenous Rights Commissioner, doing so since 2019.
"Nobody in government is saying this is a bad idea. What they're saying is they don't have the money," he said.
"It's extremely disappointing."
LDR
Chief Human Rights Commissioner Paul Hunt says he has been urging the government to appoint an Indigenous Rights Commissioner to an "empty seat" since 2019.
"Contemporary Aotearoa New Zealand requires a full-time race relations commissioner and a full-time indigenous peoples rights commissioner," Hunt said.
One race relations commissioner responsible for all ethnic minority communities and tangata whenua was "out-of-date".