Colin Craig The Conservative Party is cosying up to National as ACT flails in the hands of John “I did not have a relationship with that man” Banks. Prime Minister John Key has confirmed the Conservative Party is a potential support partner for a centre-right government, while National Party President Peter Goodfellow has reportedly sought a meeting with Conservative leader Colin Craig. It comes as Banks, ACT’s leader and sole MP, is under police investigation over donations to his failed 2010 Auckland mayoralty campaign. If Banks was convicted of breaking local electoral laws he would have to step down, forcing a by-election in Epsom. The Conservatives leader has made it clear he would run in a by-election in Epsom. A fundamentalist Christian, Craig has made it clear he personally “doesn’t approve of homosexuality,” as 3 News explained his stance. He is also personally against gay adoption, but has been adamant such views will not come into Conservative Party policy. In an extensive interview with Paul Holmes on Q+A last August, Craig would not been drawn on anything specific: PAUL Homosexuality is wrong, is it? MR CRAIG Um, that's not a statement that I'm making. I know that people get quite interested in my own conservative views and my personal beliefs. It's certainly not a policy of the party and it's not something I would say. PAUL Has the party got any policies? MR CRAIG The party does have policies, but none on anything like that. PAUL Binding referendum. MR CRAIG Absolutely, binding referendum's one of those. PAUL We've had that before. It goes nowhere, doesn't it? MR CRAIG Well... PAUL It goes nowhere, Mr Craig. MR CRAIG Well, most countries - I should say democratic countries. Most democratic countries have some form of binding referendum. We believe we need one. PAUL Go back to homosexuality. MR CRAIG Sure. PAUL Do you regard a homosexual relationship as less than a heterosexual one, really, in your heart? MR CRAIG It's... For me, personally - obviously I made a choice for marriage. I recognise they're going to make their own choice, and they'll base that on their own sort of factors and decisions, not me. PAUL Well, they opt for marriage as well. We just call it civil union. MR CRAIG Yeah, that's right. PAUL Is that a bit less than a real marriage, man and a woman, though? MR CRAIG Um, I don't think so. I mean, it's a different thing, isn't it, under the law in New Zealand? It's not something I have any policy or sort of thoughts... PAUL Would you campaign on it? MR CRAIG No. PAUL Would you like to see the repeal of the Civil Union Act? MR CRAIG No, I wouldn't campaign on that, Paul. The policy we have is there for improving New Zealand as a whole, and I think every New Zealander, no matter what their personal views are, should know and will see that those policies are good for the country and therefore good for them. Family First's 'value your vote' has a run down on where Craig stands on key social issues You can discuss this gay New Zealand community news story in the GayNZ.com Forum here
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Monday, 7th May 2012 - 9:18am