When the Martians ask to be taken to the Anglican or Maori Party leader – how many will they meet?

So what does the Anglican Church have in common with the Maori Party?

Lots of leaders.

Alf was reminded of the similarity between the church and the Maori Party after the Bishop of Taranaki, Philip Richardson, was elected Archbishop and became one of three men who jointly share leadership of the church in this country (see here).

Bishop Richardson will share leadership duties with the leader of the Maori arm of the church, Archbishop Brown Turei, and with Archbishop Winston Halapua who is Bishop of Polynesia.

Sharing leadership is something the Green Party likes to do, too.

Another lesson in co-governance: Winiata is laying claim to a half share of a trust fund

The Anglican Church is having a fascinating experience as a consequence of its co-governance arrangements.

Just as Alf has foreseen, the Maori bit of the partnership is laying claim to a 50% slice of some church money.

The key player in this money grab is Professor Whatarangi Winiata, a feller who was instrumental in having the Anglican Church structure itself in a racially separatist way.

The three houses of the church, tikanga Maori, tikanga Pakeha and tikanga Pacifica, preside over their own affairs but come together to make decisions affecting the entire church.

The same Professor Winiata was a key player in setting up the Maori Party, which champions race-based claims to the nation’s economic resources, although we Nats are counselled against making much fuss about the Maori Party’s separatist power play.

Wray’s a laugh but he is gay, too, and now he is an ex-vicar

The real vicar is second from the left (in gold leggings).

Jesus wore drag, because trousers hadn’t been invented yet.

He loved all sinners, including prostitutes.

So what would he make of a carry-on in Tyneside, where the Rev Martin Wray dressed up in shiny gold tights, a little black dress, pink high heels, a pink necklace and a long black wig for a charity event near his church in South Shields.

Alas, the vicar’s picture was published in a local newspaper and some parishioners complained to his superiors that he had brought the church into disrepute.

The resultant furore has triggered the 59-year-old cleric’s resignation.

But it seems there’s more to the Rev Wray’s troubles than dressing up as a harlot.

It turns out he is in a civil partnership with another bloke, the sort of carry-on that is apt to cause much tut-tutting in church circles.

True, you won’t find any record in the New Testament of Jesus explicitly stating that homosexuality is wrong,

But he did say –