23 September, 2004

Smith: People say an emphatic 'no' to social engineering

The poll results of last night's TV1 programme The State of the New Zealand Family show that New Zealanders are waking up to the Government's attempt to redefine the family and marriage and saying "hands off", United Future MP Murray Smith said.

"I think that most people - and specially TV1 - would have been surprised that 5421 callers (66% of respondents) answered 'no' to the question 'Are gay-parented families real families?' as it was clearly designed to produce a positive response," he said.

"What that result was really about was an overwhelming 'no' to the Government's attempts at social engineering, far more than a literal answer to the question," Mr Smith said.

"People have simply had enough of having this Government's agenda being shoved down their throats. New Zealanders don't want their society changed by the stealth and hidden agendas of a minority," he said.

"Most New Zealanders do not approve of homosexual marriage, and despite all the Government's propaganda to the contrary, the average New Zealander knows that that is exactly what the Civil Union Bill is about."

ENDS

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Gordon Campbell: On the Sony cyber attack

Given the layers of meta-irony involved, the saga of the Sony cyber attack seemed at the outset more like a snarky European art film than a popcorn entry at the multiplex.

Yet now with (a) President Barack Obama weighing in on the side of artistic freedom and calling for the US to make a ‘proportionate response’quickly followed by (b) North Korea’s entire Internet service going down, and with both these events being followed by (c) Sony deciding to backtrack and release The Interview film that had made it a target for the dastardly North Koreans in the first place, then ay caramba…the whole world will now be watching how this affair pans out. More>>