Political parties united on nudity

Amending the Crimes Act to prevent 'offensive public nudity' would attract support from both ends of the political spectrum, Family First has discovered. Picture / Dean Purcell

Pornographer Steve Crow has achieved the rare political feat of uniting parties of the far left and far right against his "Boobs on Bikes" parades.

A pre-election survey by the Family First lobby group has found Mana Party leader Hone Harawira joining hands with Winston Peters of NZ First and Colin Craig of the new Conservative Party to support amending the Crimes Act's definition of "indecent acts" to prevent "offensive public nudity eg, 'Boobs on Bikes'."

But such unanimity was rare. The survey found Mr Craig supported Family First's position on 90 per cent, and Mr Peters on 80 per cent, of 30 questions on "family issues". Mr Harawira scored just 30 per cent, less than everyone except Green co-leader Metiria Turei on 23 per cent. Don Brash, whose Act shows up as more of a "liberal" than a conservative party, scored 43 per cent, and Peter Dunne of United Future 37 per cent.

The survey did not score the leaders of National, Labour or the Maori Party who all failed to return the questionnaire, but it records their positions on issues where they have voted or spoken publicly in the past.

The Christian-based Family First group supports lifelong marriage, opposed legalising gay civil unions in 2004, and backed a 2005 bill by former United Future MP Larry Baldock which would have clarified that marriage could only be between a man and a woman.

National leader John Key and Labour's Phil Goff voted with the majority against the Baldock bill. Of current party leaders, only Mr Peters and Mr Craig would support it now. Only the same two leaders would definitely oppose adoption by same-sex couples where neither partner is the child's biological parent.

Mr Key told a Family First forum in July that he might support same-sex adoption where one partner is the biological parent, and Mr Goff said stability and love mattered more than parents' genders.

There is wider support for backing marriage through Mr Dunne's bill to let parents with children split their income equally for tax purposes, giving a tax break to stay-at-home parents. National has supported it in Parliament to date, although National MPs have said it may not be the best way to support stay-home parents.

Maori Party co-leader Tariana Turia is also listed as supporting the bill, along with Mr Peters and Mr Craig. Labour, Act, Mana and the Greens oppose it.

Mr Key supported a 2004 bill by his current Police Minister, Judith Collins, that would have required parents to be notified when any girl under 16 requested an abortion. Mr Peters, Dr Brash and Mr Craig would all support such a bill again, but the other five party leaders would oppose it.

Only Mr Peters is listed as supporting an unborn child's "right to life" because he said no one who voted for the existing law expected the current outcome of effective "abortion on demand", but even he supported abortion in "rare" circumstances.

There is also minimal support - from only Mr Peters, Mr Craig and Dr Brash - for Family First's best-known policy of decriminalising "non-abusive smacking for the purpose of correction".

Mr Peters is listed as disagreeing with Family First on only two issues - restoring the drinking age to 20 and paying parents on benefits via vouchers which limit spending on alcohol, drugs and tobacco, and gambling when a child's welfare is at risk.

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