Prime Minister Helen Clark has told BBC News that civil union legislation is being considered in New Zealand to “give gay and lesbian partners equal rights”. Ms Clark, currently in London for a centre-left political summit hosted by British Prime Minister Tony Blair, told the BBC that New Zealand was currently examining all its laws to determine how they matched up to international human rights standards. She also fielded questions on the recent prostitution law reform, the potential of cannabis legalisation, and the possibility of New Zealand becoming a republic.