The discredited Maxim Institute has attacked the “low” number of civil unions performed in the last six months, despite the fact that around 4% of civil unions and marriages performed since April have been for same-sex couples. Maxim managing director Greg Fleming told TVNZ he wondered whether the legislation was worth it. “It was rushed through in urgency - there never was the public mandate for it, and the numbers now are indicating this wasn't what people needed," he said. 205 civil unions have been performed in the last six months, compared to over 5000 marriages. The Maxim Institute, who have faced a difficult month following revelations of plagiarism by both its founder Bruce Logan and senior policy analyst Michael Reid, argued against civil unions last year on the basis that it would undermine marriage and make it meaningless. Wellington celebrant Calum Bennachie said the civil union numbers were a recognition of the fact that gays and lesbians are a minority group. "The numbers of people who may take up civil union may be quite low simply because when you are looking at gay and lesbian couples - they aren't all that large a percentage of the population."
Credit: GayNZ.com News Staff
First published: Saturday, 5th November 2005 - 12:00pm