National MPs Forced to Vote Against Conscience?

Media Release 5 Nov 2015
Family First NZ is concerned that National party politicians are being ‘whipped’ on moral issues that have traditionally been conscience votes – and this has been confirmed with the latest vote on Easter trading. Family First has released a list of National MPs who appear to be voting against their conscience on this issue.

“We were already aware of the previous Labour government pressuring its MPs to vote for the decriminalisation of prostitution and the anti-smacking law. But the National government has been guilty of similar ‘whipping’ over the anti-smacking issue (two votes), the Sky City gambling bill, the recent attempts to ban street prostitution, and now Easter Trading,” says Bob McCoskrie, National Director of Family First NZ.

National MPs who appear to have voted against their previously held position on Easter trading include:
Chester Borrows
Sam Lotu-Iiga
Tim Macindoe
Jonathan Young
Alfred Ngaro
Simon O’Connor

Cabinet Ministers Gerry Brownlee and Bill English have also predominantly opposed Easter Trading, and Michael Woodhouse himself opposed one of the Easter Trading bills that came before Parliament previously.

“Prime Minister John Key has always hidden behind the phrase ‘it’s a conscience vote’ when being tackled on some of these key family issues. If politicians are going to be whipped on traditional conscience issues where politicians across the House hold differing views, voters deserve to know what the party policy is on these moral issues.”

Further info on the voting record of politicians on moral issues and conscience votes are on their website www.valueyourvote.org.nz
ENDS