Louisa Wall at Parliament tonight It was a mostly polite and often passionate debate in Parliament ahead of the successful first reading of a bill to legalise marriage between gay couples. Author Louisa Wall said it was the state's role to uphold laws and international obligations, and ensure everyone has equality under the law. “The church can discriminate. But the state should not and cannot.” Gay Green MP Kevin Hague said even if civil unions carried the same rights and responsibilities, they would still not be enough. “All the time that heterosexuals have access to the status of marriage and we do not, a message is sent that we are less than normal.” Nykki Kaye said it was an important day for New Zealand as the legislation would strengthen the rights and freedoms of a significant group of New Zealanders “I simply cannot construct an intellectual, moral, health or spiritual argument against it.” National MP Paul Hutchison told the House. “In fact the reverse is very much the case. I support it,” he said. “I sincerely hope that the Committee process will be thorough and robust. His colleague Jami-Lee Ross said he believes in all New Zealanders being able to determine their own destiny. “And if two consenting adults want to get married, I am not affected in any way. Allowing same-sex couples to get married has absolutely no impact on couples who are already married. And we shouldn't be afraid of it.” Another National MP Tim MacIndoe was against the Bill, saying he accepts it's a secular society, but “but for me and many other New Zealanders, our attitude is also deeply embedded in our Christian belief in the sanctity of marriage.” He said marriage has uniquely been about the union of male and female and the state “should not presume to re-engineer a basic human institution.” Labour MP for Mangere Su'a William Sio repeated his stance that he must listen to what he believes his electorate wants. New Zealand First leader Winston Peters was simply annoyed a conscience vote was even held on the issue. “This type of conscience vote is a relic of a bygone age,” he said. “It's inherently undemocratic and it's time MPs on both sides consigned it to the dustbin of history.” Peters also claimed no political parties campaigned on marriage equality heading into the election, however both Labour and the Green Party did so.
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Wednesday, 29th August 2012 - 9:24pm