Conservative Party leader Colin Craig has launched into the same-sex marriage debate with a controversial argument why it’s wrong.
He says same-sex couples who want to marry lack respect for what already exists. He also says it would allow them to adopt, which would be harmful for children.
The party leader and Christian is not a Member of Parliament, but waded into the debate on Twitter this morning, saying it wasn’t intelligent to pretend gay relationships were normal.
His series of tweets was followed by a press release which said the minority were busy with their "social engineering” and trying to “meddle with the system”.
Mr Craig told 3 News that people choose to be gay rather than being born that way, many as a result of being abused as children.
The crux of his argument against same-sex parents is that they are not good role models for their children compared with heterosexual parents.
“The differences between homosexuals as parents and a mum and a dad as parents are very, very significant,” he says.
“Seeing how an adult woman and an adult man live and how they work together is fantastic, positive and important for children.”
He says he has seen the impact same-sex parents have on their children but when asked if he knew any same-sex couples with children, he was cagey in his response.
“I actually do know of a couple, I don’t know them well. I wouldn’t say they were friends of mine.”
Another one his arguments - according to research he couldn’t remember – is that gay men have a lower life-expectancy than non-gay men.
“Does that matter? I think it does if you think of the kids they raise,” he says.
His comments come after Labour MP Louisa Wall’s private member’s bill allowing same-sex marriage was pulled from the ballot.
It will have its first reading in Parliament next month.
Mr Craig rubbishes the argument that parenting is about loving the child rather than the sexuality of their parents.
“I disagree with that point of view. Love is not all that matters.”
He was so sure that homosexuality was a choice, he bet his own sexuality on it.
“Do you think you could choose to be gay if that is the case?,” he was asked.
“Sure. Sure I could,” he responded.
“You could choose to be gay?,” he was asked again.
“Yea, if I wanted to,’ he replied.
Mr Craig wants a referendum held on the issue so all of New Zealand can decide if homosexual couples can marry.
3 News
source: newshub archive
