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Australia showing the way: Conservatives

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Australia 'smart' to reject gay marriage

3News NZ

Colin Craig says the New Zealand Parliament is "too liberal" (file)

Colin Craig says the New Zealand Parliament is "too liberal" (file)

The Australian parliament's "smart decision" to reject a gay marriage bill shows how socially liberal New Zealand MPs are, the Conservative Party says.

The bill was defeated yesterday, three weeks after the New Zealand Parliament voted 80-40 to pass Labour MP Louisa Wall's gay marriage bill through its first reading.

"This is another example of Australia showing us how to do it and will further support the trend of New Zealanders leaving for Australia," party leader Colin Craig said today.

"The New Zealand Parliament is simply too liberal to ensure the best interests of New Zealand."

Mr Craig says Australia's economic policies are also better than New Zealand's.

"The majority of our MPs are socially liberal, and have little or no knowledge of how to manage an economy for growth."

The Conservative Party contested last year's general election but didn't win any seats in parliament.

NZN

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Comments

7/12/2012 11:00:07 a.m.

DC wrote:

Craig is absolutely right in saying that the majority of MPs are too socially liberal and have little knowledge about growth of NZ economy.

27/09/2012 6:53:51 a.m.

Alex wrote:

@LR Donald. Yes, you're obviously right about re-establishing democracy since Colin Craig is a conservative and is more interested about taking rights away. I don't think that is in the best interests of the comment NZer. And you're obviously right that he will fix the economy seeing that is he a self made millionaire that will reform the best strategies for himself to benefit the most out of it! God forbid this prat gets 3 or 4 seats in Parliament, to do that he was prepared to oust John Key out of Helensville because he believed the constituents said he was 'too gay'.

23/09/2012 10:35:27 p.m.

Yucky wrote:

I think all sexual relations between people of any sex (whether opposite or the same or hermaphrodites or anything in between) are just disgusting. So no I am not in Australia because of gay marriage phobia.. any marriage or sexual love is strange to me. In my head it may seem a nice thing to do with someone but in reality people are just full of germs and pose a risk to my health.

23/09/2012 3:13:31 p.m.

Craig Young wrote:

Let's put it this way. Australia is similarly backward about the rights of indigenous people, refugees and asylum seekers. Mere geographical proximity does not mean that we are obliged to follow their questionable example when it comes to marriage equality, any more than we are when it comes to other issues.

22/09/2012 5:05:06 p.m.

Boyd wrote:

@LR DONALD where did I say Australia were behind NZ or in front? And the fact that no one is happy with civil unions means that we need to amend Marriage laws here. Gay rights groups saw it as a cop out compromise whereas traditionalists saw it as a further erosion of their power over minority groups. And thats what their argument boils down to really. The loss of power and control, not any of this 'saving the children' claptrap they make us believe.

21/09/2012 2:00:58 p.m.

Craig Young wrote:

Just because the Aussies are backward about marriage equality doesn't mean we should blindly imitate them. This isn't even an argument.

21/09/2012 10:39:15 a.m.

LR DONALD wrote:

To Andrew: The NZ Conservative Party will have no problem achieving at leat 3-4 seats in the next elections as they are currently the ONLY party committed to actually re- establishing democracy in NZ!
Your resorting to childish name calling only shows just how poor your understanding is of reality-
Mr Craig is a self made millionaire who just happens to run one of the most succesful accounting/business advisory companies in the country... I suggest that you need to do a little more thinking /reading before you burst into print !!
To Boyd:- the fact that several states in Australia are looking at possibly acting to DECRIMINALISE Homosexual marriage actually proves that they are still dramatically behind NZ with equitable social policy as we have had Civil Unions available for years already- the very reason why we do NOT need to change the current Marriage laws here!

20/09/2012 4:20:47 p.m.

Michael wrote:

Or, it might mean that Australia should be following OUR example in this area. Colin Craig speaks of progress as though it's a bad thing.

20/09/2012 3:57:03 p.m.

Greg wrote:

Completely agree with Colin on this one. Can't wait till he gets into Parliament and gets the economy's wheels in motion.

20/09/2012 3:41:08 p.m.

Andrew wrote:

I challenge this bigot to come up with a plan to 'save' the economy! I have a feeling he has little or no real economic knowledge further than perhaps his household budgeting which is not knowledge on how to support an economy! The reality is that the vast majority of New Zealanders support Marriage Equality and claims otherwise make Craig look like an idiot who can't read research (maybe he is?)