Thanks Maxim Institute

Interestingly enough that's not my sarcastic voice - they've set up a nifty page where you can compare how MPs have voted in conscience issues with how you would have voted (thanks No Right Turn). It's worth spending a few minutes there figuring out who to abuse (most of NZ First, United Future, and National's caucus for a start).

Tariana Turia appears to have voted for an amendment that would have requried parental permission before having an abortion, and against an amendment that would have required parental notification before having an abortion. Anyone who can come up with any sort of justification for that gets a prize.

Anyway my actual point of this post wasn't to obsess over which MPs to hate, although that's always a worthwhile project, but to point out the stupidity of conscience votes.

An MP gets to use their conscience in deciding whether or not I can have a safe legal abortion an action that won't affect anyone but me. But being involved in a war or cutting benefits has nothing to do with anyone's conscience, apparently.