Rare personal vote on abortion post

Tariana Turia. Photo / Mark Mitchell

Parliament had a rare personal vote yesterday when Maori Party co-leader Tariana Turia sought to appoint a doctor strongly opposed to abortion to the Abortion Supervisory Committee.

Mrs Turia's amendment threw a spanner in the works of what was meant to be a simple vote on a motion to appoint Dr Tangimoana Frances Habib and reappoint Professor Dame Linda Jane Holloway and Rev Patricia Ann Allan to the committee.

Mrs Turia hastily signed and tabled her amendment, but not before Labour's Chief Whip Rick Barker objected to what he called "poor process".

In addressing the House, Mrs Turia said the issue of abortion was central to family well-being. "The protection and preservation of whakapapa and genealogy is fundamental to the broken health of our whanau.

"I think about the precious heartbeat of every child, and I think about the comment that Ngati Whatua leader Naida Glavish once made, that there is no such thing as an unwanted mokopuna."

She asked for a personal vote on the amendment to appoint Wellington doctor Ate Moala to the committee instead of Ms Allan.

In 2007 Gordon Copeland, who was then an independent MP, tried to appoint Dr Moala to the committee. Mrs Turia and National MPs Bill English and Judith Collins at the time spoke in support of Mr Copeland's amendment, which was defeated by 81 votes to 36.

Dr Moala has advocated chastity and abstinence, and last year was a guest speaker at the All For Life conference in Nelson.

Mrs Turia's amendment was lost by 70 votes to 31, with National MP Amy Adams abstaining.

Personal votes are usually reserved for conscience issues. MPs file out of the debating chamber through the "Aye" door or the "No" door to register their votes.

Ayes (supporting the amendment to appoint Dr Ate Moala to the committee)
* Shane Ardern (National, Taranaki-King Country)
* Chris Auchinvole (National, West Coast-Tasman)
* Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi (National, List)
* Jackie Blue (National, List)
* Chester Borrows (National, Whanganui)
* Simon Bridges (National, Tauranga)
* John Carter (National, Northland)
* Jacqui Dean (National, Waitaki)
* Bill English (National, Clutha-Southland)
* Chris Finlayson (National, List)
* Te Ururoa Flavell (Maori Party, Waiariki)
* Aaron Gilmore (National, List)
* Jo Goodhew (National, Rangitata)
* Sandra Goudie (National, Coromandel)
* Nathan Guy (National, Otaki)
* Phil Heatley (National, Whangarei)
* Tau Henare (National, List)
* Rahui Katene (Maori Party, Te Tai Tonga)
* Melissa Lee (National, List)
* Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga (National, Maungakiekie)
* Tim Macindoe (National, Hamilton West)
* Tod McClay (National, Rotorua)
* Hekia Parata (National, List)
* Allan Peachey (National, Tamaki)
* Paul Quinn (National, List)
* Eric Roy (National, Invercargill)
* Katrina Shanks (National, List)
* Pita Sharples (Maori party, Tamaki Makaurau)
* Tariana Turia (Maori Party, Te Tai Hauauru)
* Lindsay Tisch (National, Matamata)
* Jonathan Young (National, New Plymouth)

Noes
* Rick Barker (Labour, List)
* Carol Beaumont (Labour, List)
* David Bennett (National, Hamilton East)
* Paula Bennett (National, Waitakere)
* John Boscawen (ACT, List)
* Gerry Brownlee (National, Ilam)
* Cam Calder (National, List)
* Hillary Calvert (ACT,List)
* Chris Carter (Independent, Te Atatu)
* David Carter (National, List)
* Charles Chauvel (Labour, List)
* David Clendon (Green,List)
* Jonathan Coleman (National, Northcote)
* David Cunliffe (Labour, New Lynn)
* Kelvin Davis (Labour, List)
* Catherine Delahunty (Green, List)
* Roger Douglas (ACT, List)
* Peter Dunne (United Future, Ohariu)
* Kris Faafoi (Labour, Mana)
* Darien Fenton (Labour, List)
* Craig Foss (National, Tukituki)
* Kennedy Graham (Green, List)
* Tim Groser (National, List)
* Kevin Hague (Green, List)
* Hone Harawira (Independent, Te Tai Tokerau)
* Pete Hodgson (Labour, Dunedin North)
* Parekura Horomia (Labour, Ikaroa-Rawhiti)
* Gareth Hughes (Green, List)
* Raymond Huo (Labour, List)
* Paul Hutchison (National, Hunua)
* Shane Jones (Labour, List)
* Steven Joyce (National, List)
* Sue Kedgley (Green, List)
* Annette king (Labour, Rongotai)
* Colin King (National, Kaikoura)
* Iain Lees-Galloway (Labour, Palmerston North)
* Keith Locke (Green, List)
* Moana Mackey (Labour, List)
* Trevor Mallard (Labour, Hutt South)
* Wayne Mapp (National, North Shore)
* Murray McCully (National, East Coast Bays)
* Stuart Nash (Labour, List)
* Russel Norman (Green,List)
* Damien O'Connor (Labour, List)
* David Parker (Labour, List)
* Lynne Pillay (Labour, List)
* Simon Power (National, Rangitikei)
* Rajen Prasad (Labour, List)
* Mita Ririnui (Labour, List)
* Grant Robertson (Labour, Wellington Central)
* Ross Robertson (Labour, Manukau East)
* Jamie-Lee Ross (National, Botany)
* Heather Roy (ACT, List)
* Tony Ryall (National, Bay of Plenty)
* Carmel Sepuloni (Labour, List)
* Lockwood Smith (National, Rodney)
* Nick Smith (National, Nelson)
* Maryan Street (Labour, List)
* Georgina te Heuheu (National, List)
* Anne Tolley (National, East Coast)
* Chris Tremain (National, Napier)
* Metiria Turei (Green, List)
* Phil Twyford (Labour, List)
* Nicky Wagner (National, List)
* Kate Wilkinson (National, List)
* Maurice Williamson (National, Pakuranga)
* Michael Woodhouse (National, List)

- Amy Adams abstained.
- About 20 MPs, including John Key, Phil Goff, Rodney Hide and Jim Anderton, were not present for the vote.