Aids call haunts new United Future MP

By FRANCESCA MOLD

United Future leader Peter Dunne says reviving a suggestion made nine years ago by one of his party's new MPs that Aids sufferers should be quarantined is "trawling the gutter".

Newly elected United Future MP Paul Adams made a submission in 1993 relating to Human Rights legislation, saying HIV/Aids sufferers should not be left to "run loose".

"I strongly object to the fact that my family could go to the dentist or doctor for treatment and have no way of knowing if he/she was an Aids carrier," he said.

His comments drew fresh publicity on Tuesday when Mr Adams, a former member of the Christian Heritage Party, refused to say whether he stood by that submission but revealed his belief that those with Aids and other "contagious" diseases should be publicly identified.

"I think it's only fair, and I'm not just talking about Aids but any contagious disease.

"I wouldn't want to go into a room with any disease that was contagious and not be made aware of the possibilities of that contact."

His comments upset some Labour MPs, who said Mr Adams' views were extreme and discriminatory.

The publicity comes at a sensitive time for United Future, which is negotiating with Labour about its role in the next government.

Mr Dunne was clearly annoyed by the media reports yesterday.

"I think it's really trawling the gutter," he said.

"We've all got comments we made years and years ago that we might regret today, and I think to go digging for those is really just pathetic."

Asked whether the "digging around" was because people did not know who United Future MPs were, Mr Dunne said he did not know why journalists were focusing on Mr Adams.

"I'm sure people don't know lots of other new MPs, but they haven't been subjected to the same kind of speculation and trawling into their backgrounds."

Mr Adams did not return calls from the Herald yesterday.

He is a rally car driver and owner of Paul Adams Motors in Albany.

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