Invercargill M.P. In Row Over A.I.D.S (Press, 7 June 1985)
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Summary: Invercargill M.P. In Row Over A.I.D.S (Press, 7 June 1985)
On 7 June 1985, a confrontation in the New Zealand Parliament highlighted tensions surrounding the issue of A.I.D.S. (acquired immune deficiency syndrome) becoming a notifiable disease. Norman Jones, the Member of Parliament for Invercargill and an outspoken opponent of the Homosexual Law Reform Bill, accused the Minister of Health, Dr. Bassett, of maintaining a "conspiracy of silence" regarding the criteria for when A.I.D.S. should be reported as a notifiable illness. During a heated exchange, Jones posed a question to Dr Bassett about the specific stage of A.I.D.S.'s seven symptoms at which it became classified as a notifiable disease. However, the Speaker of the House, Dr Wall, declared the question out of order. Ignoring this ruling, Jones challenged Dr Bassett directly, referring to him as "that twit." The Speaker warned Jones that unless he adjusted his behaviour, he would be removed from the chamber. Jones's determination to press the issue led him to leave the chamber temporarily upon expressing his dissatisfaction with the responses. He returned shortly after as the Speaker was about to have him escorted back, and following this incident, he offered an apology for his earlier actions. Dr Bassett responded to Jones's inquiries by stating that there were established guidelines regarding when A.I.D.S. was deemed notifiable. He explained that the early symptoms of A.I.D.S. often mirrored those of other diseases, and that the condition only qualified as notifiable once it was unmistakably identified as A.I.D.S. Furthermore, he noted that while blood tests could indicate the presence of the A.I.D.S. antibody in an individual, this did not necessarily imply that the person had developed A.I.D.S. in its advanced, reportable state. In an earlier statement, Dr Bassett revealed that five individuals had succumbed to A.I.D.S. in New Zealand, with one confirmed case of a person still living with the disease. Overall, the exchange underscored the urgent dialogue and concerns regarding public health policies in the face of an emerging health crisis during a period of significant social change.
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