An activist minority is driving civil unions – which is "gay marriage in all but name", according to the Maxim Institute. "Marriage is the basic building block of society and the best environment in which to raise children. But Civil Union legislation will treat all relationships the same, systematically gutting our statute books of any distinct recognition of marriage," says the Institute's managing director, Greg Fleming. In fact, the Marriage Act will not be affected by the Civil Union or Relationship bills. The words "husband" and "wife" will remain in all legislation where they currently appear, said MP Tim Barnett at a civil union supporters meeting in Auckland on Wednesday. The Maxim Institute dominated an anti-civil union rally at the end of last month at a Baptist church in Milford which was, according to reports, attended poorly and only by those in the elderly demographic. Maxim's communications director Amanda McGrail used the meeting to declare that marriage was not about whether you loved someone. The passage of civil unions was also allegedly linked to paedophilia by Maxim representatives at the meeting.