The civil union bill is a "Clayton's marriage bill" that only exists to erode the value of traditional marriage, says National MP Judith Collins. "Helen Clark has previously stated that civil union will not affect the sanctity of marriage. I'm not quite sure what it is supposed to do," says Collins. "I wonder what difference there is supposed to be between a "civil union" and the existing "civil marriage" service. "What particular difference will there be in a marriage celebrant's service? I don't care what private arrangements adults make for their own living arrangements. If this bill was about according property rights to gay couples then the Property Relationships Act pushed through in the last Parliament already did that. "What does annoy me is the hypocrisy. If Miss Clark is so hell bent on having the state sanction gay marriage, then why doesn't she have the courage to put that forward."