Media ID   0206-A    

Unique ID

1124422470-67

Speakers

Ann Hercus, Fran Wilde, Geoff Braybrooke, Graeme Lee, Jim McLay, Michael Cullen, Norm Jones, Philip Woollaston, Trevor Mallard, Winston Peters

Related media

0206-B

Details

Source tape		0206-A
Date		5 November 1985
Source		Parliament
Copyright		Parliament
Recorded by		Phil Parkinson
Deposited by		Phil Parkinson

Comments

Sound quality – recorded off radio. Continues on 0206-B. The earlier Parliamentary debate on the second reading spans 0213 – 0223

Disclaimer

This summary gives general themes as to the content of this recording. It is not a verbatim transcript. Always refer back to the original audio. This is a working document and any amendments/corrections are welcome.

01:14

Trevor Mallard - reports back from the Select Committee on the anti Law Reform petition .. There were ninety-one boxes some only partly filled.. propaganda.. the Committee meeting was relatively exciting..

03:30

Winston Peters – the report back is outrageous

04:10

Jim McLay – we have not heard about the report back itself

05:15

Michael Cullen – the right of free speech

06:00

Speaker – rulings

07:00

Mallard – report continues.. questioning the validity of signatures.. there are over a hundred cases of multiple signatures.. one person signing for multiple people.. The Select Committee made no recommendation .. inappropriate to refer it to the Government as it is a Private Members Bill..

08:35

Norm Jones – I wish to move an Amendment.. to refer it to the Government for most favourable consideration.. This is the largest petition presented to Parliament.. I have here another 18,000 signatures.. schoolboys signing twenty-eight times.. We presented this petition in good faith..

11:50

Jones – The Bill speaks for itself ..it affects twelve year olds.. This will not go away.. I will put forward a Homosexual Law Reform Repeal Bill.. we have the support and finance..

14:00

Speaker

14:10

Ann Hercus – I must challenge the number of signatures on the petition.. Lyttelton electorate.. we searched each sheet of the petition .. 5,139 signatures claimed .. we found only 1,500 signatures.. The vast majority of those 1,500 signatures were valid .. However there is some evidence that number of signatures is misrepresented..

17:30

Winston Peters – nothing we’ve heard back so far comments on the report back of the Select Committee.

18:10

Fran Wilde – She is speaking to the report back of the Select Committee

18:45

Speaker – ruling

20:00

Hercus – independent checking.. I recently held a referendum in Lyttelton.. In my referendum 1,700 opposed the Bill..

21:40

Peters – The petition speaks for itself.. 800,000 plus petitioning their Parliament.. I speak for the Amendment and against the report back.. The chairman was biased and impartial.. Name one schoolboy who signed the petition twenty-seven times.. we’re talking about truth now..

25:10

Peters – This petition got only a few hours before the Committee.. lies

26:00

Speaker – please withdraw those remarks..

27:20

Geoff Braybrooke – the right to petition Parliament .. This Bill came as a surprise to many in New Zealand.. This petition is a reaction to the Bill.. The supporters of the Bill have tried to degrade this petition.. Even if only half of the petitions are genuine it still remains a huge petition.. This is the citizens way of telling the politicians to go no further..

29:40

Braybrooke – I did not think of Nuremberg on the steps of Parliament. .that is an insult.. It is cavalier to reject this petition without a recommendation..

31:40

Braybrooke – this issue will not die or go away.. we need a referendum .. let the people of New Zealand decide

32:30

Speaker – debate about order of speakers.. alternating between sides of the House ..a one hour debate .. whips not operating..

38:00

Philip Woollaston - Petitions need to be accurate.. The ninety-one boxes were not sorted into electorates and were partly empty.. At least a third of the names from my electorate were not correct.. examples.. in the handwriting of children.

43:10

Graeme Lee – It’s an insult to the intention of the petitioners that a result of ‘no recommendation’ be brought back to the House.. The Chair unfairly restricted the Select Committee hearing

45:00

Lee – Keith Hay spoke about family breakdown.. Sir Peter Tait.. Alan Anderson referred to the fact that AIDS would escalate.. citing other speakers.. It was gathered in just over six months time.. They’ve tried to discredit the petition