Tim Smith (left) and Tāmati Coffey outside their new bar Our House on Eat Street, Rotorua. Photo / File
Tim Smith (left) and Tāmati Coffey outside their new bar Our House on Eat Street, Rotorua. Photo / File
Rotorua-based Waiariki MP Tāmati Coffey is expecting a baby with his partner Tim Smith.
He announced the news at Auckland's Big Gay Out this afternoon. "I wanted to seize this opportunity, at the biggest gay event in the country right now, to share the news that me and my partnerover there are expecting a baby in July," he said as the crowd erupted into applause and scattered screams of excitement.
"I hope that I get to celebrate that with all other kinds of modern families out there."
Before revealing the news, the Labour MP told the crowd "What I love about Big Gay Out is this is a day where we all come together, all types of people under the rainbow umbrella. And it's a beautiful thing. We have all kinds of modern families going on and represented here today so I applaud that."
Ponsonby Rd Lounge Bar owners Tim Smith (left) and Tāmati Coffey. Photo / File
Prime Minister Jacinda Adern said The Big Gay Out was a chance to celebrate together "but also talk about the things we are yet to do together."
When she introduced Coffey, she joked, "no one knows who that guy is, right?"