Born and raised Catholic, McAnulty likes Pope Francis but says his regular relationship with the Church is a little strained.

"The marriage equality debates started and I just felt that the Church at the time didn't reflect my values.

"So I do things personally now, just take time out to reflect and all that sort of stuff", he told The Listener's Michele Hewitson

These days he's more of an Easter and Christmas Mass attender.

Despite being pro-marriage equality, the 35-year-old, MP says he believes in marriage and cannot wait to have kids, but that his god is "more in line with what Pope Francis has been saying than the blokes before him."

McAnulty admits he is cautious about talking about his faith, qualifying the comment saying it is not that it is un-Labour to do so.

"You go to South Auckland and tell Labour people that religion and Labour don't go hand in hand. [Michael Joseph] Savage talked about Labour as Christianity in action," he told Hewitson.

As well as liberal on marriage equality, McAnulty also supported the cannabis and euthanasia referenda.

McAnulty's view on ethical matters is more akin to Biden's view on abortion; he is not keen to impose his personal beliefs on others.

"God doesn't decide when people die," Hewitson asked.

"Not everyone believes in God and society needs a structure that allows people to pursue their own personal beliefs," he told Hewitson.

Hewitson, a supporter of the Masterton A&P Show, decided to put his ‘imposing personal belief' mantra to the test.

Hewitson asks if he would help save the A&P Show from its death throes.

He says ‘no' because he has long held the view that it should amalgamate with the Wairarapa show!

Despite some murmurings about the possibility of a ministerial post, McAnulty was given the job of Chief Government Whip.

He says he got the job he wanted.

"I have spent 12 years trying to win this seat, and I can't think of any other job where you would spend that long trying to get it and, as soon as you get it, start looking for another job.

"I want to keep this seat for as long as I want to do this job and I want to do a ….load for the region.

"But I won't be able to do that if I'm off doing ministerial …. straight away."

Source

• The Listener

Not all that long ago, it was illegal to be a gay man in New Zealand. It took a long and often courageous battle against discrimination before it was decriminalised in 1986. Now, in 2012, many people wonder what all the fuss was about. I cannot help but feel that in 20 years' time, the same will be said for the issue of marriage equality.

Labour MP Louisa Wall's private member's bill would allow same-sex couples to marry on the same footing as heterosexual couples. It has garnered significant support, but whether it passes into law remains to be seen. Like the issue of New Zealand becoming a republic, marriage equality has a sense of inevitability about it. One day the New Zealand Parliament will pass such a measure. I do not see why that day cannot be in 2012. Read more

Sources

• Kieran McAnulty in Stuff Nation
• Image: TV3 News

Kieran McAnulty is a proud Wairarapa Bush supporter and treasurer of The Republican Movement of Aotearoa New Zealand.