Extension To Deadline For Petition Welcomed (Press, 21 May 1985)

On 21 May 1985, the organisers of a petition opposing the Homosexual Law Reform Bill announced an extension of their deadline until 17 June. This decision was made in response to the postponement of Parliamentary hearings related to the proposed legislation. Graeme Lee, the Member of Parliament for Hauraki and one of the petition's organisers, expressed his satisfaction with the extension, viewing it as a beneficial chance to reach a goal of one million signatures. He noted that time constraints had posed significant challenges for the petitioners, and the additional time would allow people, particularly those in rural areas, to participate and sign. Lee had recently spent time in Timaru, where he gathered opinions from the public during a canvassing effort. He reported that many constituents expressed strong opposition to the bill, indicating that it would play an important role in the upcoming political campaign. However, he observed that alongside concerns about the bill, a significant number of individuals voiced their fears regarding the proposed goods and services tax. To further support the petition movement, Lee suggested to Dr Michael Cullen, the chairman of the Statutes Revision Select Committee, that the committee should hold sessions in major centres to allow for in-person submissions. By this point, Lee reported that 10,000 signatures had already been collected from the Timaru electorate alone, a number he believed would increase with ongoing efforts, including advertisements and additional outreach. Given that there were 22,919 voters in Timaru at the last election, this figure was a significant indicator of public sentiment against the legislation. He noted that while the Labour Party candidate appeared to support the bill, the National Party candidate, Maurice McTigue, openly opposed it, providing voters with a clear choice in the electoral race. Lee anticipated that the Homosexual Law Reform Bill would become a key issue influencing the election of McTigue as the next MP for Timaru.

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