AI Chat Search Browse Media On This Day Map Quotations Timeline Research Free Datasets Remembered About Contact
☶ Go up a page

Homosexual Bill Hearings Delay Claim ‘stupid’ (Press, 21 May 1985)

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: Homosexual Bill Hearings Delay Claim ‘stupid’ (Press, 21 May 1985)

The proceedings regarding the Homosexual Law Reform Bill in New Zealand's Parliament have faced criticism following claims that hearings were postponed to protect the Labour Party's candidate for the Timaru by-election, Jan Walker, from potential embarrassment. The allegations were made by Invercargill MP Norman Jones, who opposes the bill. He suggested that the postponement was a strategic move by the Labour Party, especially as Walker, who chairs the Labour Women's Council that supports the bill, was contesting the by-election. In response, Dr. Michael Cullen, chairman of the Statutes Revision Select Committee, refuted these claims, calling them "stupid." He clarified that the decision to postpone hearings was jointly made by committee members from both National and Labour parties prior to the selection of their candidate. Dr. Cullen explained that the postponement aimed to allow the committee to focus on other pressing government legislation, without specifying when the hearings on the Homosexual Law Reform Bill would resume. The committee had received over 300 submissions on the bill, with hearings on only nine completed. Acting Prime Minister and Minister of Justice, Mr. Palmer, expressed he had no knowledge of the committee's reasons for the hearing's postponement, deeming Jones's allegations extraordinary. He emphasized that the bill was a private member's bill rather than a Labour policy matter. While acknowledging Walker's role within the Labour Women’s Council, Palmer noted that her input as a member of Parliament should be independent and reflective of a broader consultation with her constituents. Palmer also critiqued the notion of single-issue politics, highlighting that elected representatives often face challenges when balancing their personal beliefs with the opinions of their electorate. He pointed out that while he is closely monitoring the debate on the Homosexual Law Reform Bill, he has intentionally refrained from public comment as Minister of Justice until he believes the timing is appropriate. He indicated that a future statement might be necessary to address both the merits of the bill and its implications for administration. The postponement of the Homosexual Law Reform Bill hearings has stirred controversy, especially given its potential implications for the by-election and the political dynamics surrounding the Labour Party.

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

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

Publish Date:21st May 1985
URL:https://www.pridenz.com/paperspast_chp19850521_2_24.html