John Banks is back again, making all the right noises about openness, inclusiveness, consultation and funding for public transport. Should Auckland vote him back as Mayor of New Zealand's gayest city? The king of opportunist politics in New Zealand is clearly hoping Auckland residents' short memories will see them swallow hook line and sinker his current charm offensive as he reincarnates himself, for the couple of months leading up to the election anyhow, as a kinder, gentler Banksie. Let's remind ourselves what we're really dealing with in this troubling and troubled man. It's time to dip back into the GayNZ.com archives for a cautionary 'words of Banksie' montage. SAD AND SICKENING In 1986, when the [Homosexual Law Reform] Bill reached its final reading before removing homosexual acts from the list of punishable crimes, John Banks MP described it as evil. He said "this “day will be remembered as a sad and sickening day for New Zealand. A very black cloud tonight and those members who wheel themselves through the doors of the Ayes lobby to vote for legalised sodomy at the age of 16 should be thoroughly ashamed of themselves." PERSECUTION "In 1988 [Banks] asked a formal question in Parliament about a senior public servant charged with performing an “offensive act in a public place". He continued to ask questions in such a way as to identify the man even though his name had been suppressed. FEAR OF FAIRIES “Banks has some odd foibles such as his apparent fear of 'fairies,'” noted investment megastar and astute political observer Bob Jones in 1992. (Ok, that's not quoting Banks per se, but we think Jones was onto something.) RIGOROUS OPPOSITION When the armed forces ended a ban on homosexuals Banks, as the National government's Minister of Police, said he would “rigorously oppose and move in parliament that opens the door to the police for trans-sexuals, bisexuals and transvestites.” CREEPS