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What
have you done as a career outside Parliament?
Before I was an MP I was a lawyer, and a partner in
the Minter Ellison Law Firm in Wellington and Sydney. Also Deputy Chair of Meridian Energy Ltd, the
Lotteries Commission, Chair of the NZ AIDS Foundation, Member of the Board of
the Public Health Commission.
What made you want to get into politics?
I did quite a bit of public interest litigation in the 1990s - I sued the
National Government for trying to end funding to Rainbow Youth, and I tried to
get some grossly anti-gay hate publications being circulated by fundamentalist
Christian groups declared indecent or objectionable after their publication led
to assaults on lesbian and gay people and attacks on their property. That helped me to realise that using the parliamentary
process from the inside to work for fairness was likely to be a more effective
way of achievement change than any other.
Why did you choose your party?
Labour has the best record of any party in terms of advancing the rights of
LGBTI people, and in terms of safeguarding fairness and equality in
general. We got HLR and Civil Unions
under Labour, as well as a social safety net, environmental protections and
foreign policies we can be proud of. I
often like a lot of what I hear from the Greens too, but I prefer to be a
member of a party with broader appeal that can expect to head a government and
be able to enact the bulk of its reform agenda.
Who are some of your heroes?
The great 20th century liberals - unafraid to use
the power of the state to strive to create equality of opportunity - Franklin
and Eleanor Roosevelt are probably the epitomes of this tradition as far as I
am concerned.
When did you come out? Who did you first
tell?
1985, when I was in my final year at Gisborne Boys' High School and the HLR
debate was at its height. I told my
grandma, sister and parents and around about the same time.
What do you think are the biggest issues for
glbti New Zealanders right now?
Getting rid of the last barriers to legal equality
(marriage, adoption, etc), and working to ensure dignity and safety for GLBTI
New Zealanders, starting with ending anti-gay bullying in schools.
What will you do, if elected, to change these
situations?
As Labour's Justice Spokesperson I have ensured
that our programme includes commitments to deal with these issues when we are
next in government. So a vote for Labour
is a vote to make real progress on these issues.
Are you single or do you have a partner? If
you have a partner tell us a little bit about them? Any kids?
My partner Dave and I met in 1994, when I was
working at the Crown Law Office and he was a police officer. He is now in the recruitment business. We got married in Toronto, Canada, a couple
of years ago.
What
will you be doing on election night?
(Hopefully) celebrating defeating anti-Civil Union
Act MP Peter Dunne with my supporters at the Johnsonville Club.
How
can people contact you if they want to chat about issues they are concerned
about?
Email me at charles.chauvel@parliament.govt.nz or
contact me via facebook.