Media Release 26 Jan 2013
Family First NZ is accusing the Select Committee hearing submissions on the same-sex marriage bill of showing disrespect, bias, and of bullying young submitters who they disagree with but who have taken time to be part of the democratic process.
They have released an 18 year old’s personal account of her oral submission against the Marriage Amendment Bill given in December. In the account, she accuses the MP’s of giving her an appalling reception that was “disrespectful, humiliating, and pro-bill biased.”
During her short submission, the Chairperson decided it was time for food and refreshments, other MP’s showed animosity through their facial expressions and body language, and Green MP Kevin Hague bullied her by calling her ‘homophobic’ in what she terms “an unsavoury and menacing manner”.
She says “I felt humiliated, disappointed and frustrated at my treatment by these supposedly professional Members of Parliament who could not even give me common courtesy or respect.”
She states “It seems ironic that these people, LGBT people, seek ‘equality’ and ‘rights’, yet cannot return the same. They seek respect yet cannot show other citizens of New Zealand the same…. No matter that I respectfully, objectively and calmly presented my submission, it was lost on their emotive, aggressive, and disrespectful attitudes and conduct towards me.”
“This backs up anecdotal evidence that we have received from other submitters who have experienced the same hostility if they oppose the bill. Some of the media commented to us about the hostile questioning when we made our submission last week compared to submitters immediately before us who supported the bill. It does not bode well for a balanced well thought out Select Committee report being rushed through in order to ram the issue through Parliament,” says Bob McCoskrie, National Director of Family First NZ.
ENDS
