Picket To Greet Bill’s Opponents (Press, 24 September 1985)
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Summary: Picket To Greet Bill’s Opponents (Press, 24 September 1985)
On 24 September 1985, amidst the ongoing debate over the Homosexual Law Reform Bill in New Zealand, supporters and opponents of the bill planned significant gatherings outside Parliament. Proponents of the bill, led by spokesperson Ms Trish Mullins, organised a peaceful picket at noon on Parliament's grounds to demonstrate their support for human rights. Mullins emphasised the importance of showcasing that there are New Zealanders who advocate for basic human rights and who are not swayed by the opposition to the bill. On the opposing side, a substantial petition against the bill was set to be presented, comprising an impressive total of 817,549 signatures. This petition is noted to be the largest ever submitted to the New Zealand Parliament and was to be delivered in 92 boxes, symbolising a significant display of dissent. Chief petitioner Mr Norman Jones, the MP for Invercargill, mentioned that the number of signatures was still growing, with an addition of approximately 2000 names daily. In addition to the main petition, Jones had gathered 218,660 signatures on his own but, due to Parliamentary regulations that prohibit members from submitting petitions under their own names, it was announced that his petition would instead be presented by Labour MP Geoff Braybrooke, who was also active in campaigning against the bill. Braybrooke, in turn, had collected 17,311 names which would be included in the delivery. This concurrent presentation of petitions highlighted the division within New Zealand on the issue of homosexual law reform, with strong sentiments on both sides of the debate being publicly showcased.
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