September 21, 2017
Candidate on own over takataapui comment
Maori Party co-leader Marama Fox is defending the right of one of her party's candidates to attack homosexual law reform – even though she has been part of that reform.
Manukau East canddiate Tuilagi Saipele Esera says Pacific Island voters should not vote for the Labour Party because its decriminalisation or legalisation of same sex marriages, prostitution and euthenasia goes against core christian and Pacific cultural values.
Law change around assisted dying is being considered by parliament's health select committee, but any proposed changes are likely to be put to a conscience vote.
Ms Fox says people in the Maori Party are allowed to have their own opinions, but she and co-leader Te Ururoa Flavell are fully supportive of the takataapui community.
She sits on parliament's LGBQTI cross-party group and was a member of the justice select committee that worked to expunge the records of men convicted of homosexual acts.
"I also made sure we had suicide prevention for our youth that had three categories: one that it had to be youth led, youth voices; two that it had to have kaupapa Maori underpinning it; three that it had to have special attention to takataapui," Ms Fox says.
The Maori Party supported such issues being decided by consicence vote.
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