New Zealanders are worried about the homosexual agenda, says ACT deputy leader Muriel Newman; and National leader Don Brash says gays are one of a series of "single-issue" groups pushing "politically correct social engineering" in Labour. The GLBT conspiracy theory is winding up into full swing following comments made by Labour MP John Tamihere in an interview with fundamentalist Christian journalist Ian Wishart, in which he labelled gay MPs "queers". Opposition parties have seized on Tamihere's comments in their attacks on the government over the past week. ACT deputy leader Muriel Newman this week devotes her entire column to picking apart Tamihere's interview, saying "It is not just the feminist influence that worries so many New Zealanders, but the homosexual agenda, as well." Newman goes on to quote Tamihere's comments about lesbians with no children running the government as proof of this concern, concluding with the inflammatory "They don't have families. They've got nothing but the ability to plot." National leader Don Brash, in a speech to the Grey Power conference in Rotorua, used similar rhetoric to denounce the government, with assistance from the Tamihere interview. Brash told the audience the government was "populated by what Tamihere describes as smarmy tossers of no substance. It is made up of single issue groups: unions, gay rights, women's rights, all wanting politically correct social engineering." ACT leader Rodney Hide, who has previously stated that his deputy leader is not homophobic, has not responded to enquiries from GayNZ.com over the party's weekly poll question, which asks "Is Tamihere right in saying this government is out of touch with families, favours trade unions and runs a social agenda set by a cabal of homosexuals?". The party is promising to send the poll's results to the New Zealand Herald. One of GayNZ.com's unanswered questions asked Hide whether ACT believes a person's sexuality or number of children has any bearing on their ability to perform as a minister.
Credit: GayNZ.com News Staff
First published: Wednesday, 13th April 2005 - 12:00pm