7.20PM: The gay opposition MP who did much of the drafting of a private members Bill aiming to delete the gay panic defence provision from the Crimes Act has cautiously welcomed the Government's announcement that it will table its own Bill in Parliament later this week. Rainbow Labour MP Charles Chauvel says he and his colleagues will study the text of the bill closely and if they find it satisfactory "we'll be joyfully supporting it." He says this afternoon's announcement of the Bill, is "terrific." The Government has likely stolen the initiative from Labour with its own Bill, which could move through select committee stages more quickly than opposition MP Lianne Dalziel's private member's bill which came up in the ballot last week. As the Government controls the Order Paper which prioritises the progress of Bills in the House it is assumed it would give its own Bill a higher priority than one introduced by an opposition MP. Prime Minister John Key said late this afternoon that the Government is aiming to have the Bill passed through all its stages and enacted into legislation before the end of the year. Concerns that the Government might prefer to wait for a fuller review of the whole Crimes Act to address 'gay panic defence' appear to have been assuaged by today's announcement. Chauvel says striking out the partial defence of provocation provision is too important to be delayed or to become a political football. He encourages the Government to move on its Bill "with speed." The Private Member's Bill sponsor, Lianne Dalziel, who is understood to have seen the wording of the Government Bill, was in an aircraft and unable to be contacted for comment early this evening.
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Monday, 3rd August 2009 - 7:18pm