Condom study behind Craig’s ‘promiscuous’ comment

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Condom study behind Craig’s ‘promiscuous’ comment

3News NZ

Colin Craig

Colin Craig

By Tova O’Brien

Conservative Party leader Colin Craig has enjoyed a few days in the spotlight but all it took was one comment for the wheels to come off.

Mr Craig has called New Zealand women the most promiscuous in the world, citing a five-year-old study done by a condom manufacturer.

Today the Conservative leader was out courting potential constituents in Newmarket, many of whom were women, and by his reckoning many of them potentially promiscuous.

Although Prime Minister John Key rejected Mr Craig’s comment, it turns out there was at least some truth to it, based predominantly on a study done in 2007 by condom-maker Durex.

The study shows the New Zealand women had more sexual partners on average than anywhere else in the world, at 20.4

New Zealand men averaged 16.8 lovers, while the worldwide average for both men and women was 7.3.

And although the Prime Minister has a good working relationship with Durex, his relationship with Craig is looking increasingly tenuous.

If Craig does make it into a National-lead coalition in two and half years he may find few friendly faces waiting. Minister of Justice Judith Collins has called his statement “stupid”, while Social Development Minister Paula Bennett says she finds it “mildly offensive to New Zealand women”.

But it is not just the women that Mr Craig has attacked. He has also placed the blame on men.

“I believe men are more culpable in many ways. They’ve got to realise they’ve got a responsibility here too and they’ve got to step up,” he says.

So in short, it seems the Conservative message is "do what you want New Zealand, but step up and take responsibility". But in Parliament most people, it seems, have stopped listening.

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Comments

11/05/2012 6:02:07 a.m.

Expat wrote:

But do people who reply to a condom survey really take it seriously when they are answering the questions? Who would take a man seriously who takes the results of a condom survey seriously?I find Mr Craig's comment insulting to the 750 000 adult women NZers in the world who have been named the most promiscuous out of a world population of 7.012 billion of which a few billion can't afford to buy condoms. What rot Mr Craig's comments are especially coming from a christian who should take another look at the third world.

10/05/2012 2:27:07 p.m.

Rae wrote:

Would rather have ACT any day than this bible basher, at least they were open about what they were about, not that I agreed with them, as their ideals were not much more than dog eat dog

10/05/2012 1:33:35 p.m.

cherie wrote:

@John. I think you have it slightly wrong. TVNZ attack Nat in the 6 months leading up to an election and then if Nat gets in they go all brown nose as they know the Nats would deearly love to get rid of them. Both are as bad as each other but at the moment I think TV3 have lsot their objectivness for drama

10/05/2012 12:55:22 p.m.

nigel wrote:

I am surprised Collin Craig isn’t campaigning against the imminent arrival of Lady Gaga, surely he must agree with the Islamists in Indonesia claiming she is a threat to their children’s morality with her vulgar style and indecent clothes. Translated to mean encouraging promiscuity and of course we can’t have that, get out there Collin, do something about it now!

10/05/2012 11:39:50 a.m.

Ruz wrote:

Craig's comments make it evident that his Conservative party is a Christian party in drag. When it was established the new party drew support (and no doubt members) from the former Kiwi party, the Christian party established by Larry Baldock. As more information about Colin Craig comes out it does seem that he has a Christian streak that he might prefer to keep hidden.

10/05/2012 11:01:23 a.m.

john wrote:

Joann, TV3 journalist are far better than TVNZ. i know this because MySky records both channels.

TVNZ seem to be working for the government!

10/05/2012 9:26:44 a.m.

Ngata Tan wrote:

A sad reality and probably indicative of the huge social problems that NZ has been and is facing.

10/05/2012 8:42:09 a.m.

Mary wrote:

I agree with Peter. The Govt shouldn't be responsible for peoples actions, but at least give them every opportunity to not make the mistake of getting pregnant with unwanted children they can't afford in the first place. The DPB was meant as a way out from abusive relationships, etc as short term help for people to get back on their feet - and good for women to go into a job training program to boost their self esteem, learn new skills and support their family.

9/05/2012 11:13:10 p.m.

David wrote:

In the 1950's and 1960's the government used similar policies in mental health hospitals as well as other areas.. down syndrome children were forceably sterilised, mental health patients, raped, given electric shock treatment and also forceably sterilised. This is what government intervention leads too. And in all reality... the biggest thieves in the economy currently arent beneficiaries... they are mid level managers... who stole 280 million dollars from the economy (statictics released by the serious fraud office April 2012). Shall we enforce sterilisation on that group or are we just targetting poor people?. Lets not be idiots here people... National are targetting the poor and leaving the bigger problems alone. They are starting down a path that the currently followed back in the dark ages... one that saw multiple compensation claims. Winz staffers are also not trained medically and have no right to offer medical advice.. some of these contraceptives have very nasty side effects for many people.

9/05/2012 9:38:21 p.m.

Peter wrote:

"do what you want New Zealand, but step up and take responsibility" Sounds like a pretty reasonable message to me. the problem today is alot of people want to go out and raise hell but when the crap hits the fan they play pass the parcel.