Pacific Island churchgoers wrestle with moral issues

Destiny leader Richard Lewis.

Destiny's leader got the most thunderous applause at a political youth forum in Manukau, but many young Pacific Islanders in the audience said afterwards that they would still vote Labour on Saturday.

More than 200 people, mainly Polynesians from local church groups, filled the old Papatoetoe Town Hall to hear candidates from nine parties at a forum organised by the conservative Maxim Institute and Pacific mentoring agency Affirming Works.

Destiny leader Richard Lewis was among friends at the forum. He said he resolved to go into politics five years ago after he was called as a police officer to a Papatoetoe primary school where a 17-year-old boy had hanged himself on a tree. The boy's father was in jail.

"We believe fatherlessness is one of the major issues facing our country," he said. "That's why our policy platform is strengthening families and all of our policies work out from that."

He said Labour MP Tim Barnett had advocated a 21st century "free of religious or traditional presumptions" and warned: "The very foundations of our nation are under threat if Labour stays in power with people like this."

But Affirming Works chief executive Emeline Afeaki, who opened and closed the forum with prayers, wore a red sweater supporting Mangere Labour MP Taito Philip Field, who told the meeting he voted against both civil unions for gay couples and Mr Barnett's bill decriminalising prostitution.

Occupational therapy student Tea Mau said Pacific Islanders opposed civil unions and prostitution, but when she invited Labour MP Phil Goff to her Mormon church, the whole congregation turned out to be voting Labour.

"They like the Destiny Church because they are based around the family, but they will vote Labour," she said. "They will always go back to Labour because Labour is the only one that looks after the PI people because they are always at the poverty end of the scale."

A Herald survey of 24 Auckland Pacific Island pastors this week confirms her judgment. Nineteen said they gave no advice to their people on who to vote for, and expected that most would stay with Labour.

"I hate gay marriages, it's very sinful in the eyes of the Lord,"said Baptist Samoan minister the Rev. Lokeni Lokeni. "But we still stand for Labour. I understand Labour stands for all the poor people like us."

Pastor Tavale Mataia of New Lynn's Word of Life church found callers to his Radio Samoa show "confused about their support for Labour" because of civil unions and prostitution. He is voting for National or United Future, but has refrained from saying so from the pulpit.

Dr Sifa Lokotui of the Wesleyan Church in Mangere was one of only four ministers in the survey backing Destiny.

"I encourage our congregation to prefer that one because they have a great foundation for family life," he said.

A youth leader in the Papakura Pacific Island Presbyterian Church, Moe Sapolu, said she and a group of friends planned to send a newsletter to their parents this week informing them about how MPs voted on moral legislation.

"I think when they do read it they won't vote Labour. I won't be voting Labour because I'm aware of how they voted. I won't be voting for any of the big parties."

Progressive MP Matt Robson hit back at Destiny at the meeting, saying 10 per cent of the population were gay or lived in relationships with people outside marriage.

"Do we want to be like Hitler's Germany and put pink triangles on people?" he asked. "Do we want to be like the Destiny Church who preach bigotry and divide our people?"

But Mr Lewis, given extra time to reply by Maxim Institute head Greg Fleming, who chaired the meeting, said he was sad that he could not stand up for what he believed in without being called a bigot.

"I stand for the values that founded this nation, and they are Christian. If you don't like that, get over it," he said.

"The state did not create the institution of marriage, and it has no right to redefine it."