More on Graham Capill

It is obvious that the name of the Christian Heritage Party is not a name that is held in high regard at the moment - and it is nothing to do with any current party members. Graham Capill's admission of sexual abuse has tarnished the religious right and the reputation of the church as a moral voice. It has also tarnished the CHP as he was the fact of it for 10 years and it was known as the Capill party even more so than NZ First is known as Winston's Party. Still is.

Church leaders are disappointed. Those on the CHP list at the last election are angry they were led by a person who was kiddy-fiddling at the time.

I was reporting the past two elections. Prior to the election, while Capill was kiddy-fiddling, he told me it he believed it was "God's will" that there should be a Christian voice in Parliament. He saw United Future - with its Christian MP's - as a threat, and this "Christian voice" should consist of a Christian party, with Capill at the top. I told Capill that he would never be an MP, as I didn’t believe Merepeka Raukawa-Tait would be elected. Capill didn’t want his party to go into coalition with anyone. I think he wanted to be another Fred Nile. Nile is an MP in Australia in the mould of Capill.

For his willingness to be the media spokesperson for all Christian matters and his unwillingness to work with anyone who didn’t agree with him - which is why he left the party - and his homophobic tendencies, I did not hold Graham Capill in high regard. He would refuse to talk to me regarding his relationship with Raukawa-Tait. Wairarapa campaign manager Adam Owens just hated Capill. The feeling was mutual. But Adam Owens could talk - and issue decent media releases.

Capill was a media goof. His comments to the media on Christianity and moral values did not reflect the views of the wider Christian community, in a similar way to the comments of Destiny Church leader Brian Tamaki. Destiny will pick off some of the CHP votes due to the Capill abuse story getting out into the media.

Ironically, the person the media now goes to get a sensible comment on church and Christian matters is Massey History lecturer Peter Lineham, who does a much better job. I say ironically because he is gay. I say better job because he is more reflective of the wider Christian community.

Church leaders did express surprise that Raukawa-Tait was involved with the CHP and the majority had already written CHP off into the political wilderness, preferring to support United Future - including editors of Christian papers.

Capill knew this and didn’t like it. He has never been a politician and never will be. It took 10 years for him to realise this.

Graham Capill will never speak out on moral issues again.

The Christian Heritage Party was represented in parliament in 1999 after Frank Grover resigned from the Alliance and joined the party in 1999.

In 1996 Christian Heritage and Future New Zealand formed the Christian Coalition, which achieved 4.33% of the vote - fewer votes than NZ First got at that election. Capill campaigned to lower the threshold so his party would be more likely to get into Parliament.