Bulletin ‘favoured man-boy sex'

Winston Peters tabled a copy of 'Unbound' in Parliament. Picture / Mark Mitchell

Auckland bookshop owner Jim Peron published and edited a bulletin containing articles promoting men and boys having sex, Winston Peters claimed yesterday.

The New Zealand First leader produced a photocopy of the publication Unbound and several other documents which he said was further evidence to substantiate his earlier allegations that Mr Peron was a paedophile.

Mr Peters also made allegations outside the House for the first time yesterday.

He was trying to shoot down critics - including Mr Peron - who had accused him of abusing parliamentary privilege and dared him to make them outside the legal protection of the debating chamber.

The copy of Unbound tabled in Parliament included an article by a Jim Peron, entitled Abused: One Boy's Story.

It detailed the physical abuse the author had suffered from his father and contrasted it with what he said was the positive nature of sexual experiences he'd later had with men while an adolescent.

Mr Peron was given a three-year work visa in 2001 and Mr Peters claims the Immigration Service would not have granted it under its "good character" stipulations if Mr Peron had fully disclosed his history.

In Parliament Mr Peters said the other tabled documents contradicted Mr Peron's recent denials of his allegations.

Immigration Minister Paul Swain revealed yesterday Mr Peron was under Immigration Service investigation as to whether his visa application had been filled out correctly.

"If it was not, then a visa or a permit can be revoked."

Mr Peron was out of the country yesterday and his lawyer John McKay said he had been given no instructions on a response.

On March 9 in Parliament Mr Peters claimed Mr Peron had links to the North America Man Boy Love Association, allowed the group to meet in his former bookstore in San Francisco and sold its publication.

Mr Peron distanced himself from the association, said he was not a supporter and had asked the group to meet elsewhere after becoming uncomfortable about the positions it was taking.

He strongly denied being a paedophile and said the bookshop sold the association's magazine when he bought it and he believed it was a condition of sale to keep it in stock.

Mr Peters said Unbound revealed Mr Peron had "proven links to an organisation that promotes paedophilia and that publishes literature promoting sex between boys and men ... as well as pictures of naked boys."

He quoted an email from Eric Garras, who he said was the owner of the bookstore before Mr Peron.

"I did not sell the [association's] bulletin or allow [its] meetings in the bookstore when I owned it. Jim was an ardent supporter of [the association] and gave it a home at the bookstore after I sold it to him."

Mr Garras said in the email he several times expressed his "negative feelings" about the shop's association with the group and denied any condition of sale was imposed over its bulletin.

Another email confirmed Mr Peron was the publisher of the document, Mr Peters claimed.

Act MP Richard Prebble asked Mr Swain if there was any evidence Mr Peron had committed a crime in any country, to which Mr Swain said "no".

This prompted a battle between Mr Peters and various members of the Act party, finally sparking an apology by Mr Peters for referring to a political party which "seems to be a defender of paedophilia behaviour".

Mr Peters initially claimed Act leader Rodney Hide sponsored Mr Peron's visa application, a claim Mr Hide has strongly denied.

Mr Hide belongs to the Institute for Liberal Values, of which Mr Peron is the executive director.