National's Wellington Central candidate Mark Blumsky has revealed that he gave up his position as party president for United Future when he realised that the wider party were "fanatical" in their desire to unite religion with politics. Blumsky, also a former gay-friendly mayor of Wellington, had many scratching heads when he took up the position of party president for United Future last year, a stint which only lasted six months. Blumsky says now that he took up the job as a favour to his friend and colleague, party leader Peter Dunne. However, once he started work for the party, he realised the support base was far different to the inner circle in Wellington. “Some of them are very fanatical in how they see religion and politics tied up,” he told Public Address blogster Keith Ng. "I [would] get scriptures or [bible] quotes sent through, and [they thought that] these should be driving, divining reasons for me to be doing things, because it was quoted in this Book of Jeremiah or whatever. When I travelled the country with United Future, I realised just how many of these people were involved in the party." The comments come as a blow to a party that has scoffed at notions that they and their policies are motivated by their religious beliefs. “We've answered that question on many occasions and it's a pretty dumb question. I know it's one you like to keep asking, but it's just a dumb question,” United Future MP Larry Baldock told GayNZ.com in May. “We're a political party which is seeking to do the best we can with our policies, for those who vote for us and the people of New Zealand.” Blumsky says at no stage was he asked his opinion on civil unions or asked to formulate policy for the party.
Credit: GayNZ.com News Staff
First published: Monday, 12th September 2005 - 12:00pm