Gay MPs have hijacked the civil union bill, according to a Labour MP who abstained from voting in Parliament on Thursday. East Coast MP Janet Mackey was in Australia during the debate, but took the time yesterday to echo National Party sentiments about her Government "spending more time engaged in social engineering than on good legislation and I think that is reflected with this bill". "I think it's unfortunate that a couple of gay members of our caucus have chosen to hijack the bill and make it an issue for and about gay people," she said. "It is not, but this has made it difficult for me to take it back to my electorate." Mackey said she has no problems with gay couples being included in the Civil Union bill, but also said she would probably have voted against it had she been in the House.