Key not sorry for ‘rapist’ backing accusation, says comments weren’t offensive

Women MPs who walked out of Parliament in protest against John Key’s refusal to apologise for saying “you back rapists” have spoken about being victims of sexual violence, a few of them for the first time.

At the centre of it all is the issue of New Zealanders being detained on Christmas Island.

Leader of the opposition Andrew Little asked Mr Key why he did not call on Australia to “do what is right for the detainees”.

House Speaker David Carter told her that because the prime minister had not spoken Wednesday, he could not ask him to address Turei’s request.

“Some of them [detainees] are rapists, a few of them are child molesters, and a few of them are murderers”, Key said during the debate.

Key said, “But Mr Speaker, when it comes to these people coming home to New Zealand, as long as they have the travel documentation, I have a responsibility to the New Zealanders here at home, Labour are backing the rapists”.

New Zealand’s Parliament resulted in a walk-out Wednesday, as the speaker attempted to shout down and ultimately kicked out several female members of Parliament who disclosed they had been sexually assaulted. And one by one, after I was heard, each of the other women was cut off before she had finished, and either ordered to leave the house, or told to be quiet and resume her seat. “It’s completely unacceptable to trivialise the concern and experiences of so many New Zealanders in the way that has happened today”.

Carter said that although Key’s comments on Tuesday were not handled well at the time, he had to silence the MPs because it was too late to demand an apology.

Mr Key said he stood by his comments.

Despite the warning, the women continued to speak until Carter had them removed from the House.

While responding to questions about whether New Zealand citizens had been unfairly detained in Australia, Prime Minister John Key of the National Party said the opposition was “backing the rapists”. After changes to the migration act last December which allowed Australia to cancel the automatic visas of New Zealanders with criminal convictions, a number of people have been left in limbo. “And Mr Davis – if you want to put yourself on the side of sex offenders go ahead, my son, but we will defend New Zealanders”.

“We walked out because every young woman in this country – every woman needs to know – that the women parliamentarians will not put up with this”, said MP Catherine Delahunty, who also was ordered from the chamber for speaking about her assault, according to NBC News.

“He jokes about sexual violence, he will use sexual violence as a political tool to distract from his own failings, he shows no leadership on the serious issue in New Zealand of sexual violence, and the Speaker will support him in that failure”, said Turei in an interview with Radio New Zealand.

Of the 585 in the deportation pipeline, 34 have been convicted of child sex offences, 22 for murder and 16 for rape and sexual offences.