Gudgeon Bill: Relationships (Statutory References) Bill — In Committee 
Gudgeon Bill: Relationships (Statutory References) Bill — In Committee 
[Volume:624;Page:19066] 
BILL GUDGEON (NZ First) 
: 
 Alvin Toffler said: “Parenthood remains the greatest single preserve of the amateur.” Statutory social workers deal with the most extreme situations affecting the well-being of children young people and their families. They make judgments that no other agency or professional is called upon to make within a system that requires them constantly to reassess priorities and risks. They are in the business of predicting human behaviour when it is beyond the ability of any social-work system to anticipate accurately and consistently how people will act. 
The questions I ask are: why is it this way and why has it become this way? Besides the decisions that people make on how they want to live their lives we have laws introduced in this nation that have contributed to the breaking down of the family structure and its importance. First there was the Prostitution Reform Bill; second the Civil Union Bill; and third today we have the Relationships (Statutory References) Bill. In relation to the Prostitution Reform Act for example we hear and understand that a lot of our young girls are now going off to Australia for better work conditions. New Zealand First predicted that all of these things would take place. Now we have the Civil Union Act—same-sex relationships. Then to support the Civil Union Act we have the Relationships (Statutory References) Bill. There is a term used by Maori—namely whare tangata. Translated it means the home or house of man. This is in reference to the women for whom without them and the sanctity that is theirs life would not continue in perpetuity. 
We have a lifestyle now creeping in that takes away the sanctity of life the sanctity of marriage and what womenfolk mean to us in this world today. We have in this Parliament individuals who have made known their support for the Relationships (Statutory References) Bill. Is this an indication that it is also reinforcing the desire to support civil unions? Would this Labour-led Government support the initiative of a public referendum on this issue and allow the huge majority who are against this bill to have their say? 
For me this bill is an add-on to the Civil Union Act. It gives same-sex couples the same privileges as the founders of our society—namely marriage husband and wife. This bill should be consigned to the rubbish bin because it is wrong and that is where it belongs. I am not going to debate the laws and Acts that have taken place and the research that has been taking place I am saying to this Committee that it is wrong. 
On my flight down from Hamilton on Tuesday morning I overheard the air hostess talking about families to a passenger who was sitting right in front of me. She expressed her concern about what is happening today. She talked about how her mother and father brought her up—how her father worked and her mother remained at home to look after the kids. She is a single woman who has chosen a career that interests her and I think that when the decision comes for her to be married that will be how she will take care of her family. 
Statistics were given in the House yesterday in relation to the adverse effects that have been proven to be caused to our families because of people of the same gender taking a liking to each other. Let us face it there are many countries that have gone down this track and suffered because of it. When will this Government wake up to the social engineering that has taken place and the social problems that exist now and are prevalent in our families today? Money cannot solve those problems. We are putting the ambulance at the bottom of the cliff. In old Maori times families were of the utmost importance and children and grandchildren were of the utmost importance to that family social structure. Now we have laws brought into this Parliament to destroy that.  
Anei aku korero ki a koutou nga Maori o tena taha o te Whare. Kei te tautoko koutou i tenei pire. Pehea nga tamariki me nga mokopuna? 
[ 
These are my words to you the Maori members on that side of the House. You are supporting this bill. What about the children and grandchildren? 
] 
I am speaking to the Maori members of the Government. Do they support this bill? What about our families who have been brought up in love to honour and cherish their parents and to respect each other? 
Hon Mita Ririnui 
: They are carrying on. 
BILL GUDGEON 
: Kare they are not carrying on because we are bringing into the existence of the laws of this land bills that will destroy that. Prove me wrong! They never will. Kei te noho koutou i tena taha. Kare o koutou waha e hamama ana ki nga pire e hara mai ana ki roto i tenei Whare. 
[ 
And there you sit on that side. Your mouths remain closed when bills are brought into this House for debate 
.] 
Those members are sitting on that side and their mouths are closed. They are supposed to be representative of the people in their electorates. I hope they are hearing me today. I am vehemently against this bill and I hope those people out there who are listening will challenge the Government about these things at the next election. 
Dail Jones 
: On behalf of New Zealand First. 
BILL GUDGEON 
: On behalf of New Zealand First. I was asked in a radio interview on a Monday morning 2 weeks ago: “These bills that have come before the House do you think the population of New Zealand will forget it?”. My answer was: “Not if I can help it. Not if I can help it because they will destroy our nation.”