The government has done a poor job of selling civil unions to the public, says political columnist John Armstrong. "She has firmly drawn the line against the legalising of gay marriage," he says in today's NZ Herald. "Labour's gay MPs have been told to take a back seat to prevent critics accusing the Government of pandering to the "pink vote". And she has stressed this is ultimately a conscience measure and thus Parliament's decision, not the Government's. It hardly adds up to a rip-roaring celebration of the measure's intent." Armstrong feels the Government has let United Future leader Peter Dunne take centre stage with his "sanctity of marriage" argument. "The Government should have foreseen that one of the minor parties would seize on the bill as a means of generating profile."
Credit: GayNZ.com News Staff
First published: Wednesday, 23rd June 2004 - 12:00pm