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NZ will fix ambassador spouse rule if USA will

Wed 28 Nov 2012 In: New Zealand Daily News View at Wayback

Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully The Foreign Affairs Minister says he has offered to remove the restriction on unmarried partners of diplomats, gay or straight, working here - if the US will do the same for New Zealand’s straight unmarried diplomats. The issue has been raised due to revelations on GayNZ.com that psychologist Duane McWaine, the partner of gay US Ambassador David Huebner, has had to put his career on hold while in New Zealand. Under New Zealand law there is provision for the spouses of diplomats to seek employment, so the wives of previous US ambassadors have been able to get jobs. However, the law only provides for married couples, meaning de facto and/or same-sex partners are automatically excluded. Labour’s Justice spokesman Charles Chauvel, who is himself gay, says Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully could have the loophole changed ‘at the strike of a pen’. McCully has confirmed to GayNZ.com Daily News that currently, married partners of New Zealand diplomats in the US can work. Conversely, married partners of US diplomats can work in New Zealand. Unmarried partners, heterosexual or gay cannot be employed, in either case. "I have offered to remove the restriction on unmarried partners of diplomats, gay or heterosexual, working in this country, if the US will do the same for our diplomats,” he says. “The US position is that while they are prepared to remove the restriction on partners of unmarried gay diplomats, they are not prepared to remove it for unmarried heterosexual partners. That would not be acceptable to New Zealand,” McCully continues. "We wish to see gay and heterosexual partners treated equally." You can discuss this New Zealand gay community news story in the GayNZ.com Forum.    

Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff

First published: Wednesday, 28th November 2012 - 5:13pm

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