Clarkson stands up for 'Kiwi jokers'

Straight-shooting National MP "Bob the Builder" Clarkson has refused to silence his guns - elaborating last night on several of the comments that have landed him in hot water.

Mr Clarkson was hosting a "Good Jokers Unite" meeting in Upper Hutt, and despite being told by his leader Don Brash "to be careful" he was happy to shoot from the hip.

Last week he attacked the practice of Muslim women wearing burqas, saying if they did not want to fit in they should go back to "Islam or Iraq".

He also compared public displays of homosexuality to "picking your nose" in public.

Last night he said burqas should not be worn in banks or courts. "Us good jokers are not allowed to wear a crash helmet into a bank," he said.

"This is our country not theirs and if they are not happy, go back to their own country."

He repeated that he had nothing against gays "unless they try to jam it down my throat with gay parades and things like that".

He also made reference to the number of gays and lesbians in Labour's ranks.

"I would question the fact there seems to be more than a fair share in the Labour Government and maybe they should look at equal opportunity of employment in their case.

"We've got a problem there they are employing more of those than average people."

His comments were well received by an audience of about 30 - well down on his office's expectations of more than 100.

Afterwards he told reporters he was not backing down from any of his comments and would continue speaking his mind whether his party bosses liked it or not.

"I'm Bob Clarkson and I'm not going to change."

In his speech he attacked the Helen Clark-led Government as a "lying, cheating bunch of crooks".

"I'm getting pissed off that good Kiwi jokers are getting screwed by this Government."

He said "there were or are several members of her Government up on alleged corruption charges".

He also accused Parliament's Speaker Margaret Wilson of bias.

- NZPA