Conscience Vote Remit Rejected (Press, 30 August 1986)
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Summary: Conscience Vote Remit Rejected (Press, 30 August 1986)
At the Labour Party conference held on 29 August 1986 in Wellington, a decision was made to maintain the policy of allowing MPs to have a conscience vote on contentious issues. Chief Government Whip Dr Cullen argued against a motion to abandon this approach, emphasising that conscience votes provided an opportunity for politicians to demonstrate bravery rather than simply adhering to party lines. He noted that many Labour members, even those representing marginal seats, had shown significant courage by supporting the party's longstanding policy on homosexual law reform. During the conference, concerns were raised about the ramifications of the remit on the party's leadership, particularly regarding Prime Minister David Lange's stance on abortion. While the Labour Party supported abortion on demand, Lange himself held a personal opposition to it. This highlighted the tensions that could arise between individual MPs' beliefs and the collective party position. Overall, the conference reinforced the importance of conscience votes within the Labour Party, allowing members the freedom to vote according to their personal beliefs on sensitive issues.
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