Defects Seen In Petition (Press, 26 September 1985)

A random analysis of a petition against the proposed Homosexual Law Reform in New Zealand has revealed significant flaws, according to Fran Wilde, a supporter of the reform and Labour MP for Wellington Central. Wilde requested the Clerk of the House of Representatives, David McGee, to select two boxes of petition forms for scrutiny: one random box and one she hoped would contain signatures from her electorate. Wilde expressed disappointment upon inspecting the boxes, which were showcased in a dramatic event outside Parliament. Contrary to the public perception that each box contained signatures from specific electorates, she discovered that both boxes were mostly empty. The boxes measured 10.5 inches deep, but the collected paper filled only two inches at the bottom, indicating they did not reflect specific electorates as initially claimed by petitioners. The organisers later acknowledged that the boxes were associated with geographic regions rather than electorates, but even that assertion was misleading according to Wilde. Upon analysing the signature forms, Wilde reported that both boxes included forms from a broad range, spanning from Northland to Otago. A thorough examination of the signatures involved reviewing forms against electoral rolls, which proved difficult due to the illegibility of many entries. After 22 person-hours of analysis, summarising 410 signatures from 22 pages, she found that 9% of the signatures were illegible, while an alarming 61% did not appear on the electoral roll, and only 30% were valid. Wilde noticed that, from a sample focused on the Wellington region, only four names matched addresses on the Wellington Central electoral roll. In contrast, for two signatures, while the names were uncertain, their addresses were valid. A particularly notable signature found was "B. Bardot", alongside other dubious entries. Wilde pointed out instances of suspiciously similar handwriting, including one address in Wainuiomata where five different names appeared, all written in the same hand. This analysis raises questions about the authenticity and credibility of the petition against the Homosexual Law Reform, shedding light on the potential inaccuracies in its tallied support against the proposed legal changes.

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