There has been a public backlash over Michael Laws' comments that he would "automatically" abort a foetus with Down syndrome and calling the parent of a disabled child a "retard".
Mr Laws, a Whanganui District Health Board member and district councillor, appeared on the Breakfast TV show yesterday to discuss the message exchange between him and the parent of a child with Down syndrome.
The parent, Keith Maynard, had compared Mr Laws' view of "eradicating" Down syndrome to eugenics in 1930s Germany. Mr Laws had then called him a retard, and Mr Maynard later made the conversation public on his Facebook page.
The television appearance has resulted in dozens of messages being left on the Facebook pages of both Mr Laws and the Breakfast programme. Several of the negative comments left on Mr Laws' electoral campaign page had been removed by 11am yesterday.
Zandra Vaccarino, national coordinator of the New Zealand Down Syndrome Association, said his comments were concerning and inappropriate. "The NZDSA is concerned by Michael Laws' ongoing discriminating comments about people with Down syndrome.