Candidate Survey: Fifteenth Response

From Robin Gunston, United Future candidate for Mana:

If you could ensure the passage of one act on one issue in the next Parliament, what would it be?

Extending the life of a Parliament to 4 years, because at present much of NZ's legislation is too rushed because of the limited effective time a Government has to properly compile legislation, argue it democratically (ie an unconstrained select committee time) and then have good debate in the House.

What three other electoral candidates or sitting MPs do you think are most similar to you in their political views?

Gordon Copeland
Larry Baldock
Murray Smith

MMP is about coalitions: What sitting MP who is NOT in your party do you think is most similar to you in their political views?

Phil Heatley (National)

Do you support or oppose:

...raising the drinking age?

Uncertain at present, on gut feel I would like to get what we have working, spend public money on education of parents and youth on what excessive drinking does to one's body and mind and diminish some of the linkages between sport and drink.

...legalising marijuana (or pharmaceuticals based on it) for medical use?

I am uncertain about this- many pharmaceuticals are based on banned substances already so intuitively this may be alright. I would need to know that they could not be used for other purposes that led to the same effect on people's minds as smoking pot does.

...decriminalising or legalising marijuana for recreational use?

I oppose this- all I have studied and heard about this from neuroscientists and doctors tells me it is detrimental to having a proper state of mind and to facilitating learning

...allowing same-sex couples to adopt children?

I strongly oppose this - there is lots of evidence that demonstrates that a child needs the differing sort of "love" that comes both from strongly male and strongly female characteristics to develop into a full strong balanced human being

...amending the Marriage Act to allow same-sex couples to marry?

I oppose this because of my Christian beliefs in the sacrament of marriage, if we permit this then we take on our heads the responsibility for ultimate collapse of our society. Some laws are just never meant to be rewritten - this is one of them.

...allowing voluntary euthanasia or physician assisted suicide?

Having just helped nurse my mother in law to her last moments on this earth I firmly believe that we all learn something about our own humanity by assisting our loved ones to their end, although I fully support the work of hospices to make this as painless as possible for the patient

...state funding of integrated schools?

I believe that all primary and secondary education is a right to all permanent residents, totally free of any charges. I know we don't do this now but having been on several Boards and having teachers in the family I know how important this is to having a fair society. We can fund this out of Vote Education by reducing the number of policy people in the Ministry, disbanding the NZQA and ERO and halving the size of the TEC!

...the retention of sedition as a crime in the Crimes Act?

If we accept that sedition is "Conduct or language inciting rebellion against the authority of a state.", than I believe that it should remain as a crime as long we are a democratic nation and the principles enshrined in our Bill of Rights are still permitted by the Government.

...the retention of blasphemous libel as a crime in the Crimes Act?

Uncertain about this

...further restrictions on hate speech?

I am still looking at the pro's and con's of this

...the use of indefinite detention without trial for those subject to a security risk certificate?

I don't understand why this ever arises- if we have an intelligence function and a border control function that is effective the only people who arrive on our shores should be those we want to permit to enter.

...restoring the death penalty for serious crime?

Many years ago I would have said yes, but since then I have come to realise that there are those who can be restored to society and contribute effectively once they have served a term of punishment. I do think however we have to have much more effective deterrents than prison and some new thinking has to be done on this, once a serious crime has been committed and you have been found guilty in a fair trial then all one's rights should be suspended, not continually protected.

...Georgina Beyer's Human Rights (Gender Identity) Amendment Bill?

I don't know about this and will find out what it is

...Gordon Copeland's New Zealand Bill of Rights (Private Property Rights) Amendment Bill?

I support this as this Government has been eroding the property rights of people bit by bit- Magna Carta is a formative document for a democratic society and the key principles in this should be enshrined in our law.

...entrenching the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act as supreme law?

I would like to see us all debate what this means in the context of a NZ Constitution

...New Zealand's participation in the International Criminal Court?

Do we have a realistic part to play in such a body ?

...lowering MMP's threshold from the present 5%?

No - this is a good hurdle to get some form of stability- what do you want 120 parties with I member each ?? It forces parties like ours to get together with others and work a t finding mutually agreeable policies to jointly present to the public.

Finally,

With the benefit of hindsight, how should the government have handled the Ahmed Zaoui case?

With honesty and compassion !

Robin's views are his own, and do not necessarily represent those of United Future.