A Labour MP says homosexuality wouldn't have been legalised in the 1980s if it had been put to a public vote.
Willie Jackson's claim comes after Parliament approved an amendment to ACT leader David Seymour's End of Life Choice Bill earlier this week - that euthanasia won't be legalised until voters have backed it in a referendum.
The change secured NZ First's support for the Bill, which is now likely to pass. Assuming it does, a referendum will take place at next year's general election, and if the public votes for it - as polls suggest they will - it'll become law 12 months later.
But Jackson says politicians should just do their jobs and decide on behalf of the country.
"I voted against the referendum. I don't believe in referendums," he told The AM Show on Friday.
"We are put there to make decisions - if you don't like us, vote us out every three years. Here's the reality - same-sex marriage, homosexual law reform, abortion, women's rights, if we put the Maori seats up - you put that to the public, gone. Gone every time."
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Asked by host Ryan Bridge if he didn't trust the public, Jackson said he did "sometimes" - but clearly not all the time.
"You think homosexual law reform would have gone through if it had gone to a referendum? Not at that time."
In 1986, Labour MP Fran Wilde's Homosexual Law Reform Bill only passed narrowly, 49-44. Most Labour MPs voted in favour, and most National MPs against. Then-first-term National MP Lockwood Smith, who would later go on to become Parliament's Speaker, said voting against it was his biggest regret from his 30 years as an MP.
The campaign leading up to the vote was "acrimonious and nasty", according to the Government's own NZ History website. In 1985 a petition opposing reform falsely claiming to have 800,000 signatures was delivered to Parliament "in a ceremony that some critics likened to the Nuremberg Rally".
Gay marriage wasn't legalised until 27 years later.
Power play from NZ First
Though he disagrees with referendums, Jackson said forcing one onto next year's election ballot was a "politically brilliant" move from NZ First.
"Who's going to be at the top of the agenda next year when you talk about euthanasia? Winston Peters."
National MP Judith Collins said while she agreed with Jackson that it was "ridiculous" to put euthanasia to a public vote, she voted for the amendment to ensure it'll have the numbers to get through Parliament first.
"New Zealand First were having one of their little tanties and decided they needed to be the star of the show. I decided that I am not going to let them win on this - I would in fact vote for the referendum, and I think the New Zealand public will overwhelmingly support [it]."
She went on to claim New Zealand didn't actually vote for the current Government - "it was Winston Peters who put them in" - but wouldn't rule out National working with him following next year's election, if it meant forming a centre-right Government.
"It's not for me to do so - you have to know your place."
Jackson said Collins and National wouldn't rule out working with Peters because "the pursuit of power does funny things".
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