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Gay marriage bill drawn

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Gay marriage bill drawn

3News NZ

Gay marriage protestors in Wellington last year (Lloyd Burr)

Gay marriage protestors in Wellington last year (Lloyd Burr)

 

By 3 News online staff / NZN

A bill to legalise gay marriage is to be heard in Parliament.

The bill, which was submitted by Labour MP Louisa Wall, aims to legalise same-sex marriage.

It was one of five bills drawn from a pool of 62 bills in the Members' Bill Ballot.

Ms Wall’s bill is called the Definition of Marriage Amendment Bill and aims to make the definition of marriage a union of two people regardless of their sex, sexual orientation or gender identity.

It would amend the Marriage Act 1955 to “ensure that its provisions are not applied in a discriminatory manner”.

MPs will have conscience votes, with no instructions from their parties, but Labour leader David Shearer says the bill's time has come.

"I am going to support the bill, I think it reflects the reality of our time," he told reporters on Thursday.

"It's difficult to say, but I think it has got a good chance of going through."

Prime Minister John Key has said he doesn't have a problem with gay marriage and will vote for the bill.

Mr Shearer says Mr Key's attitude is an indication of the mood within the National Party about gay marriage.

Current law allows civil unions between people of the same sex, but not marriage.

A bill aimed at raising the minimum wage to $15 by Labour MP David Clark was also drawn from the ballot.

3 News / NZN

 

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Comments

27/07/2012 8:32:28 a.m.

tdog wrote:

@Richard, before you post something really stupid in the future check your facts, for starters just because someone is opposes to gay marriage doesn't mean they hate them, it just means they are opposed to whats going on. second the bible actually says plenty against gay marriage. third just because the bible has slavery etc in it doesn't mean it promotes it, for example when the Moses people were in slavery and god delivered them I find it hard to say that's "promoting slavery". and just because two people of the same sex say they are in love doesn't make it right, its just the society we live in now accepts rubbish like this.

26/07/2012 11:36:54 p.m.

Shane Abtahams wrote:

To all that are afraid of losing the "Sacrament of Marriage". We are living in an age that allows devoice, has celebrities selling there wedding then being married for under a 1/4 of a year and we have shows on TV like The Bachelor/The Bachelorette/The Farmer Needs A Wife/Who wants to Marry a millionaire/millionaire match-maker/etc... So I would like to know why you have an issue with two men/women that are in love getting married?

26/07/2012 6:29:18 p.m.

Richard wrote:

Dear Religious Opposes You have no right to oppose this because 1. The Bible Says to love everyone equally and actually says nothing against gay marriage. 2. Marriage exists outside your religion 3. The Bible promotes Slavery genocide and human sacrifice Are you going to stand up and fight for these too? I bet you wont. 4. Marriage is between 2 people if you're not apart of the marriage it has nothing to do with you. 5.you don't believe in equal rights? i guess you believe women shouldn't vote Also to those who say its not natural. Homosexual relationships are found in far more than our Species Also the argument that they can't make kids is irrelevant you don't stop women who can't have kids from getting married do you

26/07/2012 5:54:56 p.m.

Sarah wrote:

JUstice - gay people want to get married for the same reason as straight people - they love each other and want to make it official. I really hope this goes through. Society is changing and the current definition of marriage is severely outdated.

26/07/2012 5:41:19 p.m.

justice wrote:

Nothing against gays at all, but marriage is an act that is done between a man and a woman. I dont understand why gays would feel the need to be married, marriage is a union of male and female to reproduce man kind and if we are being really blunt most nzers dont get married to do that anymore

26/07/2012 5:38:34 p.m.

Evan wrote:

No big deal, probably a done deal. Encourages monogamy which is a value that makes good common sense at society level - even if some individuals can't make sense of it at a personal level!!!

26/07/2012 3:27:46 p.m.

tdog wrote:

stupid it aint marriage, last time I checked govt didn't invent marriage. Call it what you want but that aint it. I know all they want is the same rights as married people but honestly, Marriage is between a man and a woman. Its not a case of being biased to one side or the other its just the way it it is.

26/07/2012 1:35:30 p.m.

David wrote:

Fantastic to hear! About time!

26/07/2012 1:31:29 p.m.

David wrote:

With National in power this bill is a little doomed, as is the minimum wage bill. National arent about the people, they never have been. And if any party were full of homophobes... its the National Party.