'Fascist’ Label Rejected (Press, 6 September 1985)
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Summary: 'Fascist’ Label Rejected (Press, 6 September 1985)
On 6 September 1985, Fran Wilde, the Member of Parliament for Wellington Central, faced backlash from the Concerned Parents’ Association after she made allegations linking the group to “fascist” elements. The association's chairman, Peter Clements, strongly rejected Wilde's claims, arguing that her comments reflected a disrespectful attitude towards the many parents who are striving to protect their children from perceived excessive State control and to uphold their parental rights and traditional moral values. Clements noted that a significant number of parents had voiced their opposition to primary-school sexual education and a new health education curriculum during parliamentary discussions. He highlighted that 8,000 individuals from Hamilton West had signed a petition against the Education Amendment Bill, suggesting that such widespread dissent should not be dismissed as "fascist" simply due to differences in opinion. In his response, Clements questioned the implications of Wilde's characterisation, asking if the term "fascist" applies to those who resist sexual and contraceptive education in classrooms or oppose the presence of homosexual teachers promoting their lifestyle to students. He further defended the rights of parents who wish to preserve their religious freedoms against the imposition of humanist ideologies, and who may believe that certain school programs, such as psychoanalysis, could be damaging to their children. Clements stated that parents should be allowed to prioritise essential academic subjects, specifically literacy and numeracy. He contended that Wilde has not contributed positively to the concerns of these parents and criticised her for maligning an association that has dedicated over a decade to researching and providing valuable information to support responsible parenting focused on educational and moral issues. Clements concluded that the quality of discourse within New Zealand's political arena should rise above the level of what he called Wilde's ill-considered remarks.
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