A Far North group campaigning against sexual violence has hit out at what it calls the "trivialisation of rape" in Parliament.
A spokesman for Massive (Men Against Sexual Violence), Kaikohe pastor Mike Shaw, said the group applauded the female MPs who walked out of Parliament in protest when they werebarred from speaking out over Prime Minister John Key's comments about rapists and child molesters last week.
"We encourage those who walked out in support of them and are deeply disappointed that the Speaker of the House wouldn't allow them to speak," Mr Shaw said. "When the Prime Minister uses sweeping accusations in the House of Parliament of 'backing rapists' and being 'on the side of sex offenders' for political point scoring, it shows how deeply rooted the normalisation of sexual violence is in our country."
Mr Shaw said the Speaker had also declined a request two days earlier for an urgent debate about a case involving sexually degrading acts against girls. Parliament needed to send a strong message about sexual abuse and speak out for those who did not have a voice. Instead it was trivialising rape and sexual violence, he said.
The controversy began when Tai Tokerau MP Kelvin Davis, a founder member of Massive, called Mr Key "gutless" for not challenging the Australian government over the detention of New Zealanders on Christmas Island.
Mr Key responded in Parliament by saying the Labour Party was on the side of the rapists, murderers and child molesters locked up on the island. Official figures from the Australian government show there are no rapists or murderers among the New Zealand detainees on Christmas Island. The list of offences includes manslaughter, armed robbery, grievous bodily harm and assault with a weapon. One was convicted of indecently assaulting a child.
