Sunday, August 24, 2008

OPEN LETTER TO JOHN KEY

JOHN KEY’S SECRET AGENDA

At the end of the article is an interview by John Key in GayNZ. This article shows Key
’s very liberal attitude and his lack of respect for those with more conservative views particularly if they are Christian.

Here is a man who is willing to support homosexuals adopting children yet is prepared to undermine parental authority. The undermining of parental authority is the main issue not the small number of parents who will get convicted for appropriately disciplining their children. Their small fine would be nothing compared to having their parental authority undermined.

School teachers and police officers giving school talks ask children to inform on their parents if they are smacked. This is not surprising from a left wing Feminazi government. However, as an ex-National party member I am very disappointed that a National government supports this anti-parent legislation.

The reason for me resigning from National in a word is Key. Shortly after Key replaced Brash someone sent me the article below. Then he whipped his whole party to change their stance on
Bradford’s anti smacking bill.

There was some excuse for moral issues to be decided by a conscience vote under FPP. Members of Parliament were meant to represent their electorate. Under MMP who does Key think he should represent – the majority of good parents or a small vocal group of mainly left wing homosexuals who want the right to adopt children? I am all for human rights but adopting children is not a right.

To be honest I would like to vote National. Key is a very talented man. I admire his skill and drive. A man who could command the wage he did obviously has financial skills. If Key wants my vote he should devote his talents to improving
New Zealand economically and allow New Zealand parents to devote their skills to raising their children to be good New Zealanders.

I will be emailing this to Mr Key and copying it to my local MP, Judith Collins who is a very good MP. Unfortunately, Key would not allow her to represent her electorate on this very important issue.

I urge others if you have voted National in the past or are consider doing so at this election to post and email Mr Key and politely tell him National will not be getting your vote if he continues to ignore the wishes of the vast majority of
New Zealand parents.

Chuck Bird

John Key, supporter of equality for gays and lesbians
03DEC06 - Jay Bennie

Last year's Civil Unions Bill, conferring formal legal status on same sex relationships, was a litmus test for the moral conscience of members of Parliament. One of those who voted against Civil Unions, John Key, MP for Helensville, has emerged as the new leader of the National Party.

While Key voted for the Property (Relationships) Amendment Bill, ushering in a tidy up of laws which discriminated against same sex couples in a myriad of ways, Civil Unions - a conscience vote - appeared to be a step too far.

"I voted for the Property (Relationships) part of the bill because I really felt that the situation there was totally discriminatory. I guess the view I have taken is that marriage is an institution of the church, I don't think it is necessary to have that label put on every relationship many people don't in fact want that. But marriage wasn't being asked for in the Civil Unions Bill anyway, that was a demarkation that the Government made themselves.

And voting against legalised Civil Unions for same sex and de facto couples was not discriminatory? Keys followed the same path trodden by his neighbouring National MP, Lockwood Smith of Kaipara. "Because I see myself as the elected representative of the people of Helensville. I try to reflect that in my voting on conscience issues, as opposed to a personal vote from my own perspective. I had done some polling, I wouldn't say it was extensive, but I did some polling in my electorate and on the basis of that polling I voted against civil unions."

ELECTORATE VS PERSONAL VIEWS - THE CONSCIENCE VOTE

Putting the 'will of the electorate' aside, would John Key otherwise have voted for Civil Unions? "Personally I have no problems with Civil Unions... there was an argument put forward that civil unions would undermine marriage, and I never believed that line. I have been married for 22 years and the fact that a gay couple may choose to have a Civil Union would have absolutely no impact on my marriage to my wife."

Key says he doesn't intend to pre-judge the construction of families. "We have friends who are a gay couple bringing up children, I would support any gay or lesbian couple bringing up children, I would hope for them what I want for any children and that is for them to give the best parental instruction and love and attention that they can for the children that are in their care."

The Brash leadership and its advisers appears to have fostered a relationship with a number of very anti-gay, conservative, religious groups, and the need for their votes and background support clearly influenced some National MPs, including Brash himself, to flip flop from supporting Civil Unions to voting against. But National's new leader believes in a clear separation of church and state. "I think we largely live in a secular society, I think there are many religions operating in NZ and it is in the best interests of the state to make decisions that are on a secular basis so they don't discriminate. I'm no supporter of these hard right religions. [For instance,] I was never offered, I would never have accepted any financial support from the Exclusive Brethren. I met them as a constituency MP, as I would meet anyone as a constituency MP on constituency issues as I believe it's wrong to discriminate. But I intend having no contact with the Brethren going forward."

JUDGMENT AND PREFERENCE

Brash is gone from the leadership, and his close cabal of advisers has all but evaporated. Expediency politics may have led National down a dead end but in right wing politics its hard to believe that homosexuality wont become a public issue again, with calls for moral judgement to forestall moral and social rot. "I don't think I am a terribly judgmental person," says Key. "I don't care what people's sexual preferences are, It's for them to determine that. We have friends who are gay and lesbian, just as we have dozens of friends who are heterosexual. I judge my friends on the basis of the friendship that we have and the support we give each other, not on their sexual preferences which, as far as I am concerned, is their business and their business alone."

Sexual 'preferences?' There's that scary word beloved of fundamentalist preachers. Does Key believe that we glbt people exercise a choice over our sexuality? "No. I believe it is innate. I am not an expert in these areas but I have had all these religious groups in my electoral office trying to argue that this is learned behavior, personally I believe that is crap. The only way I can express that is that I am not gay and that is not a conscious decision I made, it's just the way I feel. I assume that gay people have other feelings."

ENDS

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

This is very revealing, I did not realise Mr Key was so liberal.

The only way to ensure conservative values are supported by National, should they win the election, is to put them in a position where they must go into coalition with a conservative party who will hold them to task on these issues.

The only conservative party with any chance of getting in and doing this is the Family Party. We are the highest polling party outside of parliament and have a good chance of gaining an electorate seat, so votes for us will not be wasted.

More information here:
www.familyparty.org.nz

Chuck Bird said...

sjdennis, have you got any fact to support your claim that the Family Party has a show of getting in?

Like the Kiwi Party it does not register on any pools.

I will be voting for the Kiwi Party even though I do not think they have a chance. I think the situation is the same for the Family Party.

I will not consider my vote wasted. If Key misses out on his childhood dream by a small number of votes hopefully National will hold him to account.

He is seeming more and more like Clark. Why does he not just tell all his MPs they should email all their speeches for approval?

Andy said...

Chuck, both The Family Party and The Kiwi Party have registered on polls. I think polls can be a bit misleading though.

I think the Family Party does have a better chance than the Kiwi Party of getting in. They have huge support in Mangare.

Still, we can't be sure that votes will not be wasted. Which is a great shame. (more here)

Chuck Bird said...

"Still, we can't be sure that votes will not be wasted."

Andy someone who does not vote is wasting their vote. There are only three parties who oppose the anti smacking law. ACT is one but they are extremely liberal. So it is a choose between Family or Kiwi.

I think both parties should make it clear a clear that a vote for a party that does not get into Parliament is not a wasted vote.

I will never vote for a party that support that anti family law.

If enough people take that position National will take note - if not this election then the next one.

I will be very interested in what Key has to same at the Focus on the Family Forum.

If you know of any polling in Mangere please let us all know.

Andy said...

Chuck, I'm scared about what damage Labour will do to New Zealand if they get a fourth term.

I would never vote for a party who has as one of their founding policies, "raise the minimum wage to $15". This exemplifies the Kiwi Party's skewed understanding of what the role of Government really is.

I think it pays to vote for the party which:
1) best reflects your worldview (and)
2) has the best chance of getting in.

I think compromise is a necessity in a situation like this.

Would love to get to the Forum - and yes, would be good to have some decent polling information for Managre.

Regards.