This is an email a group of us have written to the honorouble Peter Dunne about his attitude towards the Civil Unions Bill and the Relationship (Statutory References) Bill. We just thought you guys might be interested. -Tamsyn --- Tamsyn **** <pulsating_bung_eye@yahoo.com.au> wrote: > Date: Sun, 19 Sep 2004 23:07:53 +1200 (NZST) > From: Tamsyn **** > <pulsating_bung_eye@yahoo.com.au> > Subject: Re: Civil Union Bill > To: peter.dunne@parliament.govt.nz > > Dear Sir, > > I am writing on behalf of a group of concerned New > Zealand youth who are worried about your stance on > the > Civil Unions Bill and Relationships (Statutory > References) Bill. > > We were reading through a copy of the Listener (May > 15, 2004) and read your advertisement stating your > opinion on the Civil Unions Bill. > > You said: > > "That the governement rates this issue ahead of more > pressing social and economic concerns speaks volumes > about its sense of priority." > > In this particular case we completely agree with > you. > It does speak volumes about the governments sense of > priority. The government is finally taking democracy > and equal rights seriously. > > Over ten years ago, when the government changed the > Human Rights Bill to stop discrimination on the > basis > of sexual orientation, they committed themselves to > finally giving people who do not fit into your > definition of what the social norm should be, equal > rights and recognition. The Civil Unions Bill is the > first step to these equal rights and recognising > that > everyone has a place in our society. > > Another quote from your advertisement is: > > "...a government that imposes its prejudices on New > Zealanders..." > > Correct me if I am wrong but United Future is part > of > the government, yes? If so, are you not trying to > impose your party's prejudices on the rest of New > Zealand? While New Zealand has Christian roots in > its > Pakeha history, this should not influence the > governing of the country. New Zealand does not > combine > church and state and the religious implications of > "the sancitity of marriage" inflicts religious > principles onto a society that is both democratic > and > multi-cultural. > > > After looking at your website, we found an > interesting > point which we'd like to bring up with you. > > Your website says that some of United Future's key > principles are as follows: > > "4.1.5. A modern multicultural society which > encourages social harmony and unity through respect > for individual differences and cultural diversity > and... > 4.1.5.2. Which encourages responsible citizenship > based on mutual respect; > 4.1.5.3. Where the framework and rule of law applies > equally to all." > > Excuse us, Mr Dunne, but doesn't your opposition to > the Civil Unions bill contradict your party's > principles? > > Furthermore, again in response to your advertisement > in the Listener, about "community demand for the > legal > recognition of civil unions", the following > statistics > show that there is in fact strong support for equal > rights and recognition in New Zealand. > > A One News/Colmar Brunton poll had 46% of New > Zealanders supporting Civil Unions and just 34% > against. > > A 3 News poll had over 50% of respondents supporting > Civil Unions. > > An AC Neilsen poll of 1000 voters had 68% of New > Zealanders supporting Civil Unions, and just 30% > against. > > A Stuff (stuff.co.nz) poll of over 4000 people had > over 50% supporting Civil Unions. > > Thus the firm community support for the Civil Unions > Bill is clear. > > Please, Mr Dunne, take seriously your responsibility > to the people of this country as just one > representative in our democracy. > > Please join us in opposing the silliness that is > opposing the Civil Unions Bill and the Relationships > (Statutory References) Bill. > > Yours Sincerely > > Tamsyn *** > Danielle *** > Gary **** > Jessica **** > Hikurangi **** > Rachel **** > Josh **** > Tamara **** > > > ===== > The problem with people is that they get caught up > in semantics instead of sentiments.
I have a question, but let me say first i dont support this guys views. You said 30% of NZ dont support civil unions, but isnt that like 1.25 million people? If this guy was elected by those 1.25 million people isnt his responsibility to the people who elected him to oppose the legislation? Although that brings up an interesting question for our representative governments: Where does the responsibility of the official fall, with the nation or with the people who elected him(i.e. his county/state/area/province or however you break up your country)?
In a way your right but in NZ from what i know all you have to do is win your local seat to be in Parliment, weather that be a seat for Feilding which has 5000 or one for Auckland south which has 300 000 people. people who support him and his decisions will be people living in the past trying to stop everyone from having to much freedom.
LOL to be honest I voted for peter dunne last elections. you see as an electorate seat holder he is very very good at keeping things running smoothly in my electorate. however this year (since he won by so much last time) i might give my vote to another party, knowing peter will still get in, but just trying to scare him a bit LOL. Doug
well, 30% of NZ sure as hell didn't vote for him or his party. About 7 or 8% did (i think) and that was mainly because he snuck in by using the word 'commonsense' a lot and did well on the worm, so people voted for his party, many doing so without reading about it. Then they were like 'surprise! we are actually partly supported by the christian coalition, christian heritage and the religious right'. Today's polls are seing them well down in support. Also that was well before civil unions became a thing to poll about, so he wasn't really elected with that in mind.
This is his reply and my reply to him. I love how he didn't address any of the issues that I brought up.... though I kinda did the same thing. ***** Dear Mr Dunne If your main issue with the Civil Unions bill is that it is dishonest (and that is the message that I have understood from your email), would you support a Bill which introduced marriage for everyone, irrespective of gender, so that discrimination in our society would cease? Thank you Tamsyn Clemerson --- Peter Dunne <Peter.Dunne@parliament.govt.nz> wrote: > Dear Tamsyn Clemerson, > > I am afraid you have not done your homework all that > well. > > It is certainly true that I oppose the Civil Unions > bill, and intend to continue opposing it as > dishonest and unnecessary. But it is not true that I > oppose the Relationships Bill, which I voted for and > intend to continue supporting. > > My reasons are simple. I have long fought against > discrimination in all its forms and see the > Relationships Bill in many senses as the culmination > of the Consistency 2000 project that began in the > mid 1990s. I think it is very difficult, if not > impossible, to argue credibly against that, and I > will certainly not be attempting to do so. When you > take the time to talk to people about what they are > seeking in this area, it is clear that they want the > removal of discrimination. > > The Civil Unions Bill is different. It is the > Marriage Act in all but name, and therefore > introduces effective same-sex marriage. The > dishonesty is that its proponents claims (i) that is > not not same-sex marriage, when the legislation is > in fact identical and (ii) that ii is necessary to > remove discriminations against non-married couples > when in fact that is what the Relationships Bill > does. Thus, it is not a human rights issue. > > I think the best outcome for all New Zealanders > would be for the Relationships Bill to pass and the > Civil Unions Bill to be defeated. > > Yours sincerely, > > > Hon Peter Dunne > MP for Ohariu Belmont > Leader, United Future > > UNITED FUTURE - FOCUSING ON FAMILIES > More information at www.unitedfuture.org.nz > >
LOL well his reply was written fairly well, i wonder if he wrote it or if one of his secretarys wrote it. Doug
I possibly believe her has that saved in Word and everytime he gets and email from people like Tamsyn putting their views out, he just changes the email and name and copys it on lol. But yeah I agree well written.
Oooh! Go Taylor!!! Now we've both made our mark on those bastards! Go queer Kiwis! I was having a fun debate with the entire Party at the start of the year! I'll pull some quotes from their emails! There are some great ones... ...actually, I'll scan a letter I wrote to the Uni mag after they advertised U.F. as a "best of" instead of describing all their bullshit...
Still no reply from him. Muwahahaha... We're thinking of editing our letter and sending it to NZ Herald and the Listener.
