Jacinda Ardern Labour MP Jacinda Arderns' member's bill on gay adoption is no longer on hold but it is still waiting for its first reading in parliament. Arderns' Care of Children Law Reform Bill is intended to update the original 57 year's old legislation to allow adoption by same-sex couples. It seeks to remove some of the existing difficulties and barriers for the gay adoption process by directing the Law Commission to craft specific changes to the current law. Ardern predicts that the first hearing for her bill will be a few weeks away, and she had garnered supports from political parties such as NZ First and the Maori party. She has also expressed her disappointment about the Green Party holding back on agreeing to vote for her bill at the first reading. A similar but more comprehensive Private Member's bill has been drafted by Green MP Kevin Hague under a cross-party alliance with National MP Nikki Kaye. Labour pulled out from this cross party effort last year. Hague's bill has yet to come up in the ballot.
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Friday, 16th August 2013 - 2:36pm