The kiss that sparked Brian Tamaki's comments of a 'sinister' gay agenda. Picture / Fotopress

 

Evangelist slams 'sinister' agenda

 

09.08.2003

 

By HELEN TUNNAH deputy political editor

Controversial television-evangelist Brian Tamaki's tirade against a "sinister" gay agenda of MPs Tim Barnett and Georgina Beyer has prompted New Zealand's first transsexual politician to issue him a challenge.

"Honey, if he can turn me back into a man that would be a bloody miracle," Ms Beyer told the Weekend Herald. "I find it quite concerning, him attacking the integrity of voters. It's outrageous really."

Mr Tamaki, whose Destiny Church is now aligned with the new and strongly Christian political party Destiny New Zealand, has on television attacked the morals of Mr Barnett and Ms Beyer and hinted that the country's first Muslim MP, Ashraf Choudhary, lacked scruples.

He also railed against the voters of Christchurch and Wairarapa who had elected Mr Barnett and Ms Beyer, saying they were "partly responsible for opening the floodgates of sexual perversion".

On his early morning TV2 show, paid for by the church, Mr Tamaki waved a Herald photograph of Mr Barnett and Ms Beyer embracing after MPs backed prostitution reforms by 60 votes to 59, with Dr Choudhary abstaining.

"A homosexual and a trans-sexual, and then the swing vote was decided by a Muslim. It shows you on the front page of our national newspaper, a huge cover picture of a man and what used to be another man, but now has had a sex change and calls himself a woman, kissing.

"That man kissing the trans-sexual is a self-confessed homosexual."

He said he was not personally attacking Mr Barnett and Ms Beyer, but something more "sinister".

"There is an agenda from a spirit of homosexuality."

He said homosexuals would not stop at wanting marriage and children, and Mr Barnett wanted to bring in an acceptance of "every sexual orientation that can be imagined".

"But there is a point - homosexuals can be saved."

He said the Human Rights Act had opened the door to "all these sexual perversions", and New Zealand had become a "gullible" experimental laboratory for them.

Television New Zealand said last night that there had been no complaints about the programme, which screened on Wednesday, but the Broadcasting Standards Authority said it might breach rules as programmes cannot denigrate a person on the basis of sexual orientation.

The Human Rights Commission said it would need to see the programme to comment.

Destiny New Zealand leader Richard Lewis said yesterday that he had not seen the show, but Mr Tamaki's statements were always based on the Bible, which was the foundation and pillar of truth. He said he did not think the views were extreme.

"I think homosexuality is extreme. Destiny New Zealand's position on homosexuality is the same as that of the biblical foundation in that it's amoral and unnatural behaviour."

Mr Barnett said he would not lay a complaint, although his office had received calls from constituents upset at Mr Tamaki's remarks.

Ms Beyer said the voters who elected her had not been duped and their integrity should not be attacked.

"It's concerning to see this kind of talk emerging, and then taking it beyond just me and Tim. We're obvious targets - who's next?"

She said she would probably not complain, despite being linked to murderers by Mr Tamaki.

Mr Tamaki was not available yesterday, and has previously denied any role in the new political party.