Opposition Member of Parliament Ro Filipe Tuisawau said he strongly supported that there be “no gay marriage in Fiji”.

Ro Filipe commented after a New Zealand media reported his tweet expressing his displeasure about the New Zealand parliamentarian Tamati Coffey’s announcement that he was expecting a baby with his long-term partner, Tim Smith.

“Definitely not a situation we want in Fiji now or anytime in the next 1000 years. Using the word expecting is bizarre because we only use that for pregnant women,” Ro Filipe said in his tweet, which has since been removed.

Meanwhile, Stuff News reported that Mr Coffey didn’t know Ro Filipe and he hoped the member’s comments were a minority view. Stuff News is one of New Zealand’s biggest online news sites.

He didn’t plan on taking the issue up further with Ro Filipe, but said he was disappointed the views were held by someone in a position of power.

“There’s no doubt there’s an LGBTI community in Fiji and if they haven’t got members of Parliament looking after them, it makes me concerned,” Mr Coffey said.

“That’s his opinion and he’s entitled to that, but as an elected member he needs to be reminded that he has a responsibility.”

Mr Coffey said the tweet hadn’t come as a surprise, especially following some of the comments he’d seen on the original article which announced the baby news.

“We’ve still got a long way to go,” he said.

Ro Filipe, responding to the Fiji Sun, said: “It’s very simple. The way things are going will result in a confused world and confused society in the end times.

“I fully support PM Bainimarama that there will be no gay marriage in Fiji.

“In New Zealand and their MPs, it’s up to them what they want to do, but it will not happen here, full stop.

“In any case, I represent the views of the majority in Fiji not the loud minorities.”