Green MP Kevin Hague says a pamphlet being put on cars in Auckland gives the general public a glimpse of the “garbage end” of the correspondence and submissions against the marriage equality Bill.

The flyer warns that marriage equality will lead to further youth crime and increased spending on “syphilis, mental health and AIDS”.

The unsigned leaflet was placed on cars in the student carpark at AUT’s Akoranga campus yesterday. They are believed to have been written and distributed by members of a Korean church. While they direct people to a petition on the Protect Marriage website, spokesman for the group Bob McCoskrie says it has nothing at all to do with them.

The pamphlet asks “Would you allow your children or family members to commit to same sex marriage?”

The document falsely claims that tomorrow’s second reading of the Bill could pass it into law and that words such as husband and wife will be completely banned from usage:

Hague says the flyer is wrong about the process, as the second reading doesn't finalise the law. He says it’s also wrong about particular words being outlawed and is an “evidence-free zone on arguments,” such as claiming marriage equality will lead to syphilis increase.

“It nicely illustrates the fear and ignorance that almost always underpin prejudice and discrimination,” he says.

Marriage equality Bill author Louisa Wall says it’s scare mongering and feeds people's lack of knowledge about what the bill is trying to achieve.