Team Jacinda has taken out the Great Auckland Pride Debate for the second year straight, in what the judges say was a close battle. The Labour MP’s debating skills were bolstered by the hilarity of comedians Urzila Carlson and Jeremy Elwood, who had the crowd in fits of laughter with their one-liners. They had to argue against the moot “gays do it better” and did so by contending glbti people want to be equal, not better – and also that “it’s not that gays do it better or worse, it’s that they do it their way,” as Ardern put it. Nikki Kaye and her teammates Ricardo Simich and Maurice Williamson offered plenty of humour of their own, along with some sensible arguments in favour of the moot. Their side was full of high jinks, with fake make out sessions between Kaye and Simich, and Kaye and Williamson, of course leading to one between Williamson and Simich too, leading Carlson to pipe up with “Colin Craig’s left nut just exploded”. Craig jokes were in fashion all night, leading Elwood to pithily point out “having not one, but two National MPs making fun of Colin Craig is going to look really funny if you do win this year and end with him as your ‘Science Minister’.” Team Nikki wrapped up their case with Williamson strumming the guitar and singing Somewhere Over the Rainbow while Kaye and Simich slow danced. The event at the stunning panoramic Auckland Museum Event Centre was a fundraiser for OUTLine and had a strong turn-out.
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Tuesday, 18th February 2014 - 11:54pm