Tolerance

The National party believes that the bedrock values of this country are religious and personal freedom and sexual equality.* One of their MPs, Bob Clarkson said that "Muslims who wore burqas because of deeply held beliefs should "go back to Islam or Iraq".**

Does this strike anyone else possibly a little bit problematic, maybe even slightly contradictory.

*Michelle A'Court was great on Kathryn Ryan the week after this came out - she wasn't sure that sexual equality was a bedrock value of this country given our history - rather it was a balcony added on recently when we came into a little money.

** It's a good thing that knowledge isn't one of this country's bedrock values. Leaving aside the location of 'Islam' - Iraq is hardly the epicentre of Burqa wearing.