‘Gay’ Bill Nearer Law (Press, 5 June 1986)
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Summary: ‘Gay’ Bill Nearer Law (Press, 5 June 1986)
A significant development occurred in New Zealand's Parliament regarding the Homosexual Law Reform Bill, a long-standing and contentious issue. On 4 June 1986, Parliament completed the committee stages of the bill, which aims to decriminalise homosexual acts between consenting adults. The legislation is now set to proceed to its third reading debate scheduled for Wednesday, 11 June 1986. While there is a possibility that the bill could be passed or rejected within a week, the outcome remains uncertain. The third reading debate will feature 10-minute speeches, which aims to limit lengthy filibustering tactics that opponents might employ. However, several factors may contribute to delays. Opponents of the bill may seek to postpone the debate if they believe the provisions decriminalising homosexual acts have sufficient support in Parliament. Additionally, there are intentions to amend the bill further before the third reading, particularly regarding the age of consent. Currently, the bill legalises homosexual acts for individuals aged 16 and over, but some members are advocating for amendments to raise that age to 18 or 19. Amendments would require a vote to send the bill back to committee stages for further consideration, and both supporters of maintaining the 16-year age clause and opponents of the entire bill may vote against this move. As such, uncertainty remains regarding the number of attempts to refer the bill back for amendments and the likelihood of their success. Parliament also decided to remove the schedule of the bill following the failure of a previous effort to amend human rights legislation to prohibit discrimination against homosexuals. This change led to an adjustment of the bill's Long Title, succinctly outlining its intended effects, and was accomplished without a vote. Following these developments, the bill is now positioned on the brink of significant historic change after nearly a year of heated debate and discussion.
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