What M.p.s Were Saying Why The Vote Was ‘no’ (Press, 7 July 1975)

On 6 July 1975, the New Zealand Parliament engaged in a crucial debate regarding the bill addressing the issue of homosexuality. Members of Parliament have faced considerable pressure as they navigate their conscience on this topic amidst varied public opinion. Mr P. Blanchfield from the Labour Party expressed his perspective by highlighting the extensive research that members had undertaken, asserting that the existing law regarding homosexuality failed to reflect the potential harm posed by the proposed amendment supporting homosexual acts in private. He noted that, to his knowledge, there had not been any prosecutions concerning adult males in private settings, emphasizing that criminal cases typically involved child molestation and public indecency. Mr Blanchfield refrained from voting but suggested that the bill would likely have been rejected by around 49 votes to 37 had all been recorded. Conversely, Mr R. L. G. Talbot from the National Party articulated a more cautious stance, arguing that altering laws related to homosexuality could lead to broader consequences across various societal issues. He raised concerns that the push for changes in homosexual law was part of a larger agenda advocated by permissive groups seeking reforms in religious education, abortion, censorship, divorce, soft drug laws, and euthanasia. He warned supporters of the proposed changes to consider whether they were comfortable with this broader 'package deal', suggesting that making private homosexual practices legal might also inadvertently endorse them as acceptable in society. The session also saw discussions on the military volunteer system, provoked by Labour MP Mr R. P. B. Drayton's question regarding the number of volunteers who had joined since the compulsory programme's abolition in December 1972. The Minister of Defence, Mr Fraser, reported a total of 6,240 volunteers up to the end of May 1975, asserting that these individuals were of sufficient calibre and that a return to compulsory service was not desired by the Army. He affirmed that of those who enlisted, 4,158 had completed six weeks of training and noted the transition in the quality of training personnel compared to the previous system, where many draftees joined with resentment. Further parliamentary discussions included matters of female representation in the justice system, where the Acting Minister of Justice revealed that 84 women had been appointed as justices of the peace under the current government, compared to 45 during the last three years of the previous National Government. Additionally, advancements in state land purchases for housing were outlined, with the Minister of Housing, Mr Douglas, reporting significantly improved acquisition numbers for unit sites in Christchurch from 1960 to 1975, signifying a commitment to meet housing needs. The current financial year aims to acquire 1,237 unit sites, showcasing continued improvement in the government's approach to housing in the area.

The text on this page is created, in the most part, using Generative AI and so may contain errors or omissions. It is supplied to you without guarantee or warranty of correctness. If you find an error or would like to make a content suggestion please get in contact

The text on this page is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 New Zealand