Conscience vote private matter says PM

By HELEN TUNNAH deputy political editor



Prime Minister Helen Clark says MPs must decide for themselves where their consciences lie and are not dictated to by electorates in free votes.

She said yesterday the conscience vote on the Civil Union Bill was no more difficult for MPs such as Winnie Laban and Ashraf Choudhary than any other politician.

Dr Choudhary and Ms Laban chose not to vote last week on the first reading of the Civil Union Bill, rather than decide yes, no or abstain.

Another Labour MP, Janet Mackey, also did not vote. The bill passed its first reading by 66 votes to 50, and has been sent to a select committee for public feedback.

Most parties are allowing their MPs another conscience vote today - on the Relationships (Statutory References) Bill, which removes discriminations against straight and gay de facto couples and sits alongside the new civil union legislation.

Born in Pakistan of Indian heritage, Dr Choudhary is New Zealand's first Muslim MP and, as a list MP, was also selected by Labour to be a representative of ethnic communities in Parliament.

Mana MP Ms Laban is a New Zealand-born Pacific Islander, and has confirmed she is being lobbied by Pacific Island church communities from within her electorate to oppose the bill.

Dr Choudhary and Ms Laban have acknowledged they are trying to balance the pressures they are under with human rights issues.

Helen Clark yesterday defended the decision of the three MPs not to vote, saying that was a legitimate option.

"It is fair to point out that a conscience vote is exactly that. A member cannot be dictated to by any electorate on their conscience.

"The conscience issue is one where members need to decide that issue for themselves."

Dr Choudhary was criticised last year when he abstained on a law proposing to decriminalise prostitution. It passed by 60 votes to 59.

Helen Clark confirmed yesterday that a "senior" MP had spoken to Ms Mackey after she blamed the hijacking of the Civil Union Bill by "a couple of gay members of our caucus" as making it difficult for her to sell the law to her electorate.

She also complained that the Government was spending more time engaged in social engineering than social legislation, and said governments should not be engaged in legislating morals.

Ms Mackey had been expected to vote against the bill. She has already said she will be resigning at the next election.

Helen Clark said Labour MPs had been asked to avoid any personal criticisms during conscience votes.

"People generally should respect other people's consciences, and not engage in ad hominem [personal] attacks.

"A senior member has spoken with her. I understand that she's sorry this has happened."


A CONSCIENCE VOTE

MPs are freed from the usual obligation to vote according to party lines.

The conventional view is that MPs vote according to their own wisdom.

They do not have to second-guess what their electorate wants them to do.