In a bipartisan gesture more frequently seen amongst the Rainbow members of Parliament than in the institution in general, high-flyer Auckland Central MP Nikki Kaye, of the National Party, last night acknowledged her Labour colleagues commitment to improving the lives of glbti people. Nikki Kaye MP speaking last evening Noting that a significant number of National MPs had voted against each of the landmark bills such as Homosexual Law Reform in 1986, the Human Rights bill in 1993 and marriage quality, Kaye said she felt compelled to acknowledge the members of the Labour party present for their "incredible progressive" attitude to social legislation. "You have made a significant contribution to glbti progress," she said. In a speech similar to one she delivered to a Wellington audience earlier in the week, Kaye told the Auckland civic reception audience she had read Hansard in the lead-up to her appearances at events marking the 30th anniversary of Homosexual Law reform, including the event at Parliament early last week. She said she eventually had to stop reading the verbatim account of the parliamentary debates on HLR "due to the harsh, stupid, ugly, dark, hateful and arrogant" attitudes expressed by many MPs. Much, but not all, of that opposition came from National MPs of the day. Kaye also congratulated Louisa Wall and past MP Fran Wilde on the skills and character they brought to their respective campaigns for glbti equality. "You are both quite similar," she told the pair, "you have the ability to bring people together." And Kaye expressed sympathy for Marilyn Waring, who was present. Waring as a young National MP was notably outed and treated shabbily in the mid- 1980s by her own party leader and Prime Minister of the day, Robert Muldoon. "You were kicked really hard," said Kaye, paying tribute to Waring's strength of character.
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Sunday, 10th July 2016 - 8:33pm