9AM: A pair of Christian activists who vandalised Associate Justice Minister David Benson-Pope's office in the run-up to the Civil Union Bill vote in Parliament last year are outraged that the police called round to their house to collect payment for damages. Matthew and Madeleine Flannagan covered the windows of the MP's office with posters reading “Civil unions isn't gay marriage – yeah right” as a publicity stunt in December. A jar of excrement was also left outside the office door with a note reading “civil union”, but the Flannagans said at the time they did not leave it. Benson-Pope says he had to get a professional window-cleaner in to remove the mess left by the Flannagans' posters, costing a total of $35. He made an informal complaint to the police, who paid a visit to the couple, both list candidates for the Christian Heritage Party at the last general election. "This was a political stunt,” Benson-Pope told the Christchurch Press. “I'm not into that. Nor did I want the taxpayer paying for the clean-up that should be charged to somebody else." Madeleine Flannagan thought Benson-Pope should have “put a 45c stamp on an envelope” and asked for the money rather than involving the police. Police Inspector Dave Campbell says Matthew Flannagan, who believes gay sex is “illegal” despite the passage of homosexual law reform in 1985, was happy to pay the money when approached by police. "I guess he decided that $35 was better than a possible fine of $200 for billsticking,” he said.
Credit: GayNZ.com News Staff
First published: Monday, 21st February 2005 - 12:00pm