Sue Bradford's Democracy

83% of Kiwis think the Anti-Smacking Law is a bad law.

Sue Bradford doesn't care what you think.

Government's Stance on Referendum Arrogant

Press Release: Family First, Saturday, 23 August 2008
Family First Slams Govt’s Desperate Delay Tactics on Referendum

Family First NZ says the government is guilty of being arrogant, hypocritical and patronising by suggesting that the Referendum on the anti-smacking law cannot be organised until mid-2009.
“The government is yet to announce the date of the general election involving the two-vote system under MMP and due to take place within 3 months, yet it says it cannot organise a one-vote Referendum within 10 months,” says Bob McCoskrie, National Director of Family First NZ.
“The attempt to delay democracy by this government is breath-taking. This is a cynical attempt to muzzle the voice of NZ’ers who are opposed to the hugely unpopular and highly flawed anti-smacking law.”
“More than 10% of voters have met the high threshold of asking for a Referendum and recent polls suggest that between 80-90% oppose the legislation. It makes complete sense both economically and in terms of timing to do it at the same time as the general election.”
According to the Cabinet papers, the lame excuses for not holding the Referendum during the election include

• it would take issuing officers longer to issue the two or three voting papers to each voter
• voters would take longer to mark their papers
• voters would be confused by the additional voting papers

The Cabinet papers also acknowledge a simple lack of organisation caused problems at the last Referendum. It says “At the 1999 general election, voters were instructed to place the two CIR voting papers, together with the Parliamentary voting paper, into a single ballot box for each electorate. This, together with the fact that the CIR voting papers were not distinctly coloured, contributed to significant delays to the sort and count of voting papers.”
“In other words, the problems experienced by the last Referendum held on an election day simply came down to poor organisation.”
“The government simply refuses to acknowledge the opinion of NZ’ers,” says Mr McCoskrie, “and is doing everything it can to bury this issue. It shows a complete lack of respect for the due democratic process in NZ.”

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