Just under 2 per cent of all marriages and civil unions performed since last April have been for same-sex couples, but the numbers aren't good enough for civil union celebrants who have been unable to drum up business. 145 male and 153 female couples have had civil unions, as well as 62 opposite-sex couples. During the same time period, 15,683 marriages have been registered. "The government's desire to be politically correct has created a lot of unnecessary bureaucracy," Wellington celebrant and security consultant Trevor Morley told the Sunday Star-Times. "A hell of a lot of time, effort and money has been spent establishing civil union celebrants. All for an extremely small minority. Clearly that minority had a voice far in excess of its numbers." Ironically, Mr Morley says he still hopes to officiate at a civil union and plans to renew his licence as a celebrant. His wish being fulfilled will depend on increased numbers of couples uniting, and whether a same-sex couple would be happy with a celebrant that views their desire to marry as "politically correct". Other celebrants who've missed the boat are not bothering to renew their licences. Porirua celebrant Victoria Wilks said quite a few of her colleagues would be opting out because of lack of interest. But is it lack of interest, or merely a case of same-sex couples being wary of not being taken seriously by a heterosexual celebrant, or at worst, encountering an attitude like Trevor Morley's? Gay Wellington celebrant Bill Logan, who also performs weddings regularly for straight couples, has performed nine civil unions since the legislation was enacted, and receives regular enquiries from couples. "Anyone who's looking to have a civil union is going to look for the right person for them, and it's not surprising that a lot of them would prefer someone who's gay or lesbian," he told GayNZ.com. "It's likely that a celebrant who is gay is going to have a feel for the gathering at a civil union. A lot of civil unions are a big gay celebration, and someone who's not comfortable in that social milieu is actually going to be a fish out of water and not cope terribly well." Logan says that comments like Morley's highlight a small percentage of civil union celebrants who have little interest in same-sex weddings other than the business that can be gleaned from them. "They see it as a money-making thing," he says. With regards to Morley's comments about "unnecessary bureaucracy", Logan agrees, in part: "The government would have saved a lot of paperwork by simply making marriage available to gays and lesbians."