New Parliament ‘likely To Be More Liberal’ (Press, 12 September 1984)
This is a Generative AI summary of this newspaper article. It may contain errors or omissions. Please note that the language in the summary is reflective of the original article and the societal attitudes of the time in which it was written.
Summary: New Parliament ‘likely To Be More Liberal’ (Press, 12 September 1984)
A survey published in the September-October issue of "Pink Triangle," a newspaper catering to the lesbian and gay community, indicates that most new members of Parliament in New Zealand would support the decriminalisation of male homosexual acts. Conducted in early August 1984, the survey found a shift towards more liberal views in the new Parliament compared to its predecessor. Out of 26 new members, 23 were contacted via telephone for their views. The breakdown showed that 17 were from the Labour Party, five from the National Party, and one from Social Credit. The survey revealed that 15 respondents expressed support for amending the Crimes Act to decriminalise male homosexual behaviour, while the same number also showed favour for changes to the Human Rights Commission Act to include sexual orientation as a basis for discrimination complaints regarding employment, housing, and access to goods and services. The findings suggest a general willingness from members of Parliament to engage with the survey, with two members indicating they would conduct polls in their electorates on these issues and base their votes on the results. The report pointed out that the departure of several long-time opponents of gay rights, including Dail Jones, David Thomson, Mick Connelly, Ben Couch, Sir Richard Harrison, and Brian Mac Donnell, has weakened the conservative lobbying faction in Parliament. Furthermore, the survey highlighted a demographic shift with the new Parliament consisting of younger members and a greater representation of women, adding to the likelihood of more progressive legislation regarding gay rights. Overall, the findings reflect a potential for significant legislative changes concerning the rights and recognition of the gay community in New Zealand as the country moves towards a more liberal political climate.
Important Information
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