The Relationships Bill has passed its first reading by 76 votes to 42, a far more comfortable majority than last week's Civil Union bill vote. Some MPs who voted against civil unions voted for the Relationships Bill, including United Future leader Peter Dunne and Labour's John Tamihere. But National's Brian Connell, who last week said that the Civil Union bill would tear the social fabric of New Zealand, retained his stance against, using the opportunity to again attack gays. "It is in my view the subject of a highly organised campaign, with its protagonists deeply embedded in the Labour Party caucus. They don't seek understanding or fairness. What they are seeking are converts,” he says. "It is the hard-sell of the homosexual lifestyle."
Credit: GayNZ.com News Staff
First published: Wednesday, 30th June 2004 - 12:00pm