Conscience needs clear voice in laws and living

The great pacifist and prophet, Mahatma Ghandi, once said "the only tyrant I accept in this world is the still small voice within".

It is that voice which plays on your thoughts when you face a crossroads. A voice which asks are you doing the right thing? Are you acting in a way which is consistent with the values and the legacy passed on to you by those before you? Will your actions make your children and grandchildren proud?

This past week a number of incidents occurred which have made me think further about the concept of moral courage.

On Saturday night a young woman died in Christchurch, from sniffing butane, or "huffing". Apparently over the past decade there have been 30 such deaths - deaths caused through the inhalation of chemical vapours.

The tragedy is that most of the substances are readily available, - spray paint, lighters, paint-thinners, air-fresheners. How do the store owners who sell to young people sleep? Do they ask themselves - could these deaths have been prevented?

This week in Parliament that "still small voice" will come into its own through the means of a conscience vote.

Despite constituting only 5 per cent of all bills voted on, conscience voting always generates much interest as it is taken over the more contentious issues coming before the House.

This week we will be asked to exercise our conscience around the question of whether two people of the same sex should be able to marry; and what age is an appropriate age for the purchase of alcohol?

While we grapple with the issues in the debating chamber whanau are grappling with these issues every day.

Each of us has to look in the mirror and be happy with our reflection - the way we treat other family members; the values and choices we make When I hear that two thirds of under-age drinkers say their "suppliers" were their parents, I have to wonder what protections we put in place around responsible drinking and if we could live with ourselves, should harm occur as a result of intoxication that we unwittingly were a part of.

Finally, I welcome the campaign that hits off on Thursday for a living wage.

The Living Wage Aotearoa New Zealand campaign is driven by the goal of achieving a living wage as a necessary step in reducing inequality and poverty. A living wage is to provide workers and their families with the basic necessities.

It requires support from Government - and importantly from "ethical employers".

That is, employers who respect the quiet still voice within; who treat parents of sick children with compassion not compliance; who understand that their workers need a decent wage to live with dignity and to participate as active citizens in society.