Green Party MP Metiria Turei yesterday urged the Government to "hold firm" in the line of homophobic fire from the Opposition over its new Care of Children bill. "Opposition parties have been quick to sacrifice the merit and intent of the Care of Children Bill to score cheap political mileage at the expense of same-sex couples," she said. The controversy, caused over wording in the bill which appears to advocate female fathers, has been labelled "trivial" by Associate Justice Minister Lianne Dalziel, who says that the bill will only be rewritten if a better expression can be found.