Sun 22 Nov 2015 In: New Zealand Daily News View at Wayback View at NDHA
Phil Goff (Pic: Radio New Zealand) Phil Goff, the pro-glbti equality Labour MP for Mt Roskill, has announced he is standing as an independent candidate for the Auckland City mayoralty. Goff entered Parliament in 1984 amongst a rush of socially-liberal MPs who began to reshape the New Zealand political and social landscape. Other pro-glbti rights politicians in his cohort included Helen Clark, Annette King, Fran Wilde and Trevor Mallard. In 1986 Goff voted in favour of the landmark Homosexual Law Reform legislation which freed gay men from legalised persecution. He also voted for the 1993 Human Rights legislation which largely outlawed discrimination on the basis of sexuality. He voted for Civil Unions, allowing same-sex couples' relationships to be legally recognised for the first time and for its successor, the Marriage Equality Act which gave all couples, regardless of sexuality, the same right to formally marry. Goff has been a regular champion of human rights and in recent years has been persistent in trying to shed light on the suicide on duty in Afghanistan of gay soldier Douggie Hughes and the suppression of details by the Army and the coroner's office. He has been a regular at major events such as Auckland's Big Gay Out over the years.
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Sunday, 22nd November 2015 - 3:00pm