The Gay Auckland Business Association is to host a dinner with Prime Minister Helen Clark next Thursday evening, where the PM is scheduled to make an address and answer questions from the audience. "I'm really quite thrilled that it's happening because we've been trying to get the PM to a GABA event for some years," says GABA President Johnny Givins. "Having the opportunity to sit down with the PM after all the work this government has done for our community over the last few years, it's quite major." The dinner was announced at GABA's monthly Fruits In Suits meeting this week, where new appointments to the GABA Executive Committee – including Givins as the new President – were announced. Other new appointees to the Committee were Greg Clark, Vic De Bettencor, John Edie, Russell Finnemore, John Preston and Gareth Spillane. Former President Richard James will continue in the role of Treasurer. Givins says GABA has functions beyond that of a networking group for gay businesspeople, and has an important role to play in the community, from its work through the GABA Charitable Trust through to simply being out there and visible. “Gays have to stand up and be counted, because we are a mainstream community,” he says. “I'm really thrilled to get the support of the organisation to be chair, and to move GABA into the next year.” Tickets for the GABA dinner next week are available to both members and non-members, and can be purchased online through the GABA website.
Credit: GayNZ.com News Staff
First published: Wednesday, 10th August 2005 - 12:00pm