Auckland (The NZ Today)
Winston Peters has reopened two of New Zealand’s most contentious social-policy debates, saying he hopes the country’s ban on conversion practices is eventually overturned and arguing that some abortions, depending on timing, can “shade into” murder.
The New Zealand First leader made the comments during a wide-ranging interview with Family First, but stopped short of announcing a formal election policy to repeal either law.
Asked whether the 2022 conversion-practices ban should be revisited, Peters said NZ First would have opposed the legislation had the party been in Parliament at the time and added that he hoped the law would eventually be reconsidered.
New Zealand’s Conversion Practices Prohibition Legislation Act 2022 makes it an offence in certain circumstances to perform practices intended to change or suppress a person’s sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression. It specifically criminalises conversion practices involving people under 18 or people lacking decision-making capacity, and practices causing serious harm.
The legislation also contains exemptions covering appropriate healthcare, identity exploration, support, and expressions of religious belief that are not intended to change or suppress a person’s sexuality or gender identity.
Peters also questioned whether New Zealand’s abortion settings should be revisited, reiterating his personal view that life begins at conception.
When asked about later-term abortions, he said the issue could, depending on timing and circumstances, move into territory he described as “murder or assassination”.
New Zealand’s current abortion framework was substantially changed by the Abortion Legislation Act 2020, which removed abortion from most of the Crimes Act framework and established different clinical requirements before and after 20 weeks of pregnancy.
National leader Christopher Luxon quickly ruled out reopening either issue under a government he leads.
Speaking to reporters in Kāpiti, Luxon said he had made the same commitment before the 2023 election and maintained that both matters were settled.
“There will be no changes under me as prime minister,” Luxon said when questioned about abortion law.
He was equally categorical on conversion practices, saying National would not overturn the existing ban.
That creates a clear difference between the leaders of two parties that have governed together during the current term: Peters is signalling that he wants the questions revisited, while Luxon is explicitly ruling out legislative change under his leadership.
Labour campaign chair Kieran McAnulty dismissed Peters’ remarks as a distraction from issues dominating the election campaign, particularly the cost of living.
He argued voters he had encountered were focused overwhelmingly on household pressures rather than reopening abortion or conversion-practices legislation.
Peters’ remarks do not, at this stage, amount to an NZ First commitment to repeal the laws. But they put both issues back into the election conversation and raise the possibility of another policy disagreement between parties that could again find themselves negotiating after November 7.
Source: Winston Peters interview with Family First; Christopher Luxon and Kieran McAnulty comments and New Zealand legislation, along with additional reporting context from RNZ.
