Māori Party supports LGBQTI community

Māori Party co-leaders Marama Fox and Te Ururoa Flavell say they are fully supportive of the LGBQTI community after the party was accused of being anti-takatāpui.

“We are a party based on a belief in whakapapa, whanaungatanga and manaakitanga and as such we will always support LGBQTI members of whānau,” says Ms Fox.

“To be clear, the comment made in a press release by a party candidate that prompted the accusation of the party being anti-takatāpui is not the party’s position. It is the personal view of that candidate and a vote on such topics is, by convention, a conscience issue.

“ln 2013, all three Māori Party MPs voted in favour of marriage equality and I was proud to serve on the Justice and Electoral Committee that this year supported the Criminal Records (Expungement of Convictions for Historical Homosexual Offences) Bill, a bill that would both expunge historical crimes committed by homosexuals and provide an apology,” says Ms Fox.

Ms Fox is also the Māori Party representative on the cross-party working group on LGBQTI rights.

“We are a party of inclusiveness, and sometimes there are different points of view, but I can assure the LGBQTI community they have our support,” said Mr Flavell.

“In Budget 2015 the Māori Party secured $2.1 million in funding for Māori youth suicide prevention and some of the key initiatives were directed specifically at takatāpui. We secured a further $8 million in this year’s Budget to continue that work.

“We are against discrimination in all quarters of society and this includes against takatāpui.”

ENDS

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