Smith Nick: Care of Children Bill — In Committee Procedure 
Smith Nick: Care of Children Bill — In Committee Procedure 
[Volume:621;Page:16691] 
Hon Dr NICK SMITH (National—Nelson) 
: 
 I am not surprised that Labour members want to shut down this debate particularly the male members opposite given the pathetic way in which they have allowed feminists to dominate this important area of law. Let us just remind ourselves what the Labour caucus and the Labour Cabinet wanted to put on the law books of New Zealand: “To avoid doubt… ‘the father of a child’ is a reference to the same-sex … partner of the mother of the child …”. What sort of people what sort of men are in the Labour caucus and Cabinet that they would approve that sort of nonsense being put on the law books of this land? 
The arrogance of the Prime Minister and the Ministers in charge of this bill is such that they believe that this Parliament can overrule nature. They believe they can somehow pretend that a child has a father and a mother where the father is female. That is how bizarre the world view is that Labour members of this Parliament have. 
I say to those members opposite particularly the male members that no amount of politically correct legislation can overrule the basic rule of nature—that is that children have a mother and a father. Labour members can pass all the laws they like but fathers are men in this country. 
I am sorry to tell the Labour Minister in the Chair the Hon David Benson-Pope and the “squawkish” sounding female senior whip that somehow in this bill a father can be a woman because in clause 167 we see that a woman is to be treated the same as the father of the child. Under this bill a lesbian partner is to be treated as though that person were the father of the child. 
I say to the Committee that that is trying to create a sexless society in which there are not fathers and mothers; there are just— 
Darren Hughes 
: Nonsense! 
Hon Dr NICK SMITH 
: The member said it was nonsense. Was he in the caucus when they said to avoid doubt that the father of the child could be a woman? 
Darren Hughes 
: Why has nature been so mean to this man? 
Hon Dr NICK SMITH 
: That member does not want to talk about the law that he approved as a caucus member to be passed in this Parliament. I am not surprised that Dave Hereora does not want to debate it; he just wants to shut the debate down. He is so embarrassed that he is just kowtowing to the Prime Minister—the Prime Minister who believes that the father of the child can be a woman. 
I simply say that those members do not understand that children in this country actually need fathers and mothers who are equal but different. Why on earth will that member and the Minister not take a call to justify the provisions in this law that say a lesbian is to be treated as the father of the child? That can never be in nature and it should not be in law. 
I challenge Mr Darren Hughes who has all the time in the world to interject to take the next call and to tell Parliament why we should pass law that states a woman should be treated the same as the father of the child. That is what is being imposed on the people of New Zealand but did Labour put that in its manifesto? Did Darren Hughes tell the men in his electorate that he thinks mothers can be fathers—that women can be fathers? [ 
Interruption 
] 
Maybe Lynne Pillay will take a call. I think Lynne Pillay is a lovely lady. She would make a great mother but she will not be the father of a child in this world or the next.