Gay marriage is ''the reality of our times'' and should be voted in to law, Labour's David Shearer says but deputy Prime Minister Bill English says it is ''not that important'' and he ''thought the problem had been solved'' with civil unions.
And NZ First MP Richard Prosser says although he has ''nothing against gays'' he will be voting against a gay marriage bill to ''preserve the institution of marriage''.
A members bill to allow same sex couples to marry was today drawn from a ballot and will be debated by Parliament - potentially as early as next month.
The bill, led by Labour MP Louisa Wall, is likely to be subject to a conscience vote but will have the support of Shearer and all Green Party MPs. Prime Minister John Key has previously indicated he would vote for a bill for gay marriage to at least be considered by a select committee.
A number of MPs - including Key and English - voted against legislation in 2004 that allowed same sex couples to enter civil unions. Many of those MPs still in Parliament may also vote against Wall's bill.
6 Comments
Civil unions should be enough. Its not about marriage its about forcing the gay agenda on our world.
What exactly is the "gay agenda"?
@Roxann Owen
"What exactly is the "gay agenda"?"
How very disingenuous of you, but I will play along:
The "Gay" agenda is to cultivate willing victims; as is the standard operating procedure for all like minded sociopaths.
http://www.mcafee.cc/Bin/sb.html
@ Randy E King. I guess I missed the meeting where they handed out the agenda. Oh well. My wife and I will continue to live our quiet productive lives and hope that someday our union will be legally recognized.
Roxann, it's not about legal recognition, or proposition 8 wouldn't have been an issue. California already gave domestic partnerships every right and privilege they had to give. It's about marriage, the word, and the moral respect that goes with it, not legal recognition.
I've heard pro-gays before ask the question about the gay agenda as if they didn't know. They know. In a nutshell, the gay agenda is to make it socially unacceptable and illegal to express moral objection to homosexual behavior. Dan Cathy was just demonized for saying that marriage should be between a man and a woman. If gays get their way, that same statement will be elevated to a 'hate crime' with legal consequences. Same-sex marriage as law will be the foundation of further legislation to squelch any expression of moral objection.