Wednesday, February 16, 2022



112-8

The Conversion Practices Prohibition Legislation Act passed its third reading tonight, with only 8 MPs voting against it. The Act prohibits the torture of LGBTQ children by bigots and quacks, protecting their right to be who they are. It will make Aotearoa a safer place for these kids to grow up in, and its passage is something we should all welcome.

So who were the eight bigots? Simon Bridges, Simeon Brown, Melissa Lee, Todd McClay, Simon O'Connor, Chris Penk, Michael Woodhouse and Shane Reti. None of them bothered to speak to explain their hate - too ashamed, I guess. The thing they all have in common is that they are all from National, which has generally been on the wrong side of history on every vote about gay rights. The good news is that there were only 8 of them this time (of 33 National MPs). Which I guess goes to show how far the dial has shifted, and how indefensible this sort of bigotry is becoming. But if National wants to shift that dial further, and move in the right direction for once, it could make it clear that these MPs have no future in the party, and de-select them at the next election.