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The
Press
June 10 1993.
Bank's campaign 'petty, vindictive'
by Peter Luke in Wellington
The MP for
Christchurch Central, Ms Lianne Dalziel, last night accused the Minister of
Police, Mr Banks, of waging a "petty and vindictive campaign" that
could only add to the woes of an already traumatised Christchurch.
She also accused the Minister of homophobia in response to a statement he
made in Parliament yesterday.
Mr Banks earlier drew the ire of a Ministerial colleague for using the Ellis
child sex-abuse case to further his own fight against homosexual law reform.
An Associate Minister of Health, Mrs O'Regan, who is leading the reform
drive, immediately expressed outrage at the Mr Banks's link between the sexual
abuse of children and homosexual behaviour.
Mr Banks said Ellis's conviction last week provided "some hard lessons
for the supporters of the so-called Human Rights Amendment Bill and should
stiffen resolve against it".
"Surely decent New Zealanders have learnt from the appalling saga of the
Christchurch Civic creche. I cannot for the life of me understand why
Parliamentarians are rushing to further liberalise unnatural behaviour with
this misguided Bill which is soon to come back to Parliament."
Mr Banks also said it was time to stop "our nation's muddled infatuation
with tolerance".
Ms Dalziel hit back, saying tolerance was what our society "should be
built on".
The Bill as introduced does not ban discrimination on grounds of sexual
orientation. Mrs O'Regan last year signalled her intention to include this in
amendments MPs are expected to vote on next week.
She also wants a ban on discrimination on the grounds of carrying
disease-causing organisms (such as HIV or hepatitis).
"No doubt there are paedophilics who are homosexual, but most
paedophilics are heterosexual," Mrs O'Regan said yesterday.
"People need to be reminded that paedophilia is a crime. I know from my
contacts with the gay community that homosexual people themselves are
absolutely appalled at such behaviour.
"I would never, never support legislation that would see behaviour of
this sort legalised, let alone promoted," she said.
Ms Dalziel joined the assault. "John Banks's attempt to smear all gays
with the Ellis case is sick. In this case, Mr Banks is using a terrible
example of child abuse to fight his private war against homosexuals,"
she said.
Ms Dalziel, a member of the select committee considering the Bill, is
understood to be pushing for the amendment to be added to the Bill at the
select committee stage.
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