John Key with Ak Central MP Nikki Kaye and a hovering red t-shirt 4.10PM: PM John Key has thrown his political weight even more solidly behind the bill, currently before the house, which, if passed, would see same-sex couples legally allowed to marry. Key is understood to have instructed his fellow national MPs prior to the first reading of the bill late last year that they should not vote tactically but vote either for it or against it as they felt they would on its final reading. This afternoon, in a brief speech from the main stage of the Get It On Big Gay Out, Key upped the ante, confirming his intention to vote for the bill in its next two readings, and expressing his belief that many other MPs will follow his lead. "As PM I think if I vote for it a whole lot of MPs will vote for it too," he said, to a warm reception from the crowd. Key also congratulated the gay community and the NZ AIDS Foundation on the recent drop in the rate of newly diagnosed HIV infection from an all-time annual high two years ago. He advised the crowd that he will be back at the Big Gay Out next year. As is traditional for Prime Ministers Key has walked around the Big Gay Out site trailed by media and allowing glbti people to take photos with him. He has been shadowed by a group of activists wearing and displaying red shirts to remind the PM of the unacceptability of using the word 'gay' as a put-down. Last year Key was roundly condemned for flippantly denigrating a talkback radio host by criticising his "gay red t-shirt" and for later unsuccessfully trying to recover ground by saying he meant 'gay' in the context of 'weird.' This afternoon the activists have been positioning themselves and their red t-shirts, some worn and others on poles, behind Key in as many media photos as possible. Though they have mostly remained at a slight distance from the PM one protester had his shirt confiscated by police when he ventured close to the PM.
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Sunday, 10th February 2013 - 4:15pm