Sio calls for same sex marriage bill to be dumped

Danya Levy at Stuff reports:

Labour’s MP for Mangere Su’a William Sio says he will be voting against the bill because there is widespread opposition within his electorate which has the highest population of Pacific Islanders in New Zealand, making up 58.8 per cent of voters.

Some ministers in Pacific churches were preaching against the bill and against Labour.

“This issue cuts deep into fundamental beliefs,” he told Radio New Zealand. “It will divide the community.”

Sio said the bill was causing unnecessary harm to Labour and should be withdrawn.

Even if Wall withdrew the bill, which she of course is not doing, then it is quite possible Kevin Hague’s similiar bill would be drawn, and just as many Labour MPs would vote for that bill, so I don’t think it would change anything.

Also the fact the PM is voting for it, may mean that any Pacific backlash is not against Labour. And sadly National polls do low in Mangere, that it has few votes to lose there!

There is a wider issue of whether the Pacific community really is against the bill. Some church leaders are, but I’d love to see some polling done of the Pacific community to ascertain what the majority opinion is.