Another government backdown over civil unions – this time over the clause that would allow heterosexual couples to switch their civil union to a marriage and vice versa. Church groups labelled the clause an erosion of marriage, and Associate Justice Minister David Benson-Pope says if the public were opposed to this clause, he had no problem with it being removed. The Civil Union and Relationship bills, which provide legal recognition and next-of-kin rights for same-sex couples, have been virulently attacked in their entirety by moral right groups who believe marriage is being eroded. The Government earlier this week backed down on making the Relationship Bill a party vote, following allegations of a split within the Labour caucus on support for it.