Gay marriage scrap will be 'ferocious' - PM

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Gay marriage scrap to be 'ferocious' - PM

3News NZ

John Key thinks debate over the bill will get heated (Photo: Lloyd Burr)

John Key thinks debate over the bill will get heated (Photo: Lloyd Burr)

By Laura Mcquillan

The overwhelming support for a bill to legalise gay marriage has stunned Prime Minister John Key, but he says its passage through its first vote is exciting.

Mr Key is in the Cook Islands attending the Pacific Islands Forum and missed the bill's first vote in Parliament on Wednesday night (NZT), but cast a proxy vote in favour of the legislation.

The bill passed its first reading by 80 votes to 40, with one abstention.

The strong majority means it will almost certainly get safely through its remaining stages and become law, even if some MPs change their minds.

Mr Key told media in Rarotonga the result was "a strong endorsement for the equality of rights".

"It was an overwhelming result and I think it puts the bill in a pretty strong place to potentially become law, given you've had two-thirds of Parliament voting for it," he said.

However, it was no surprise the bill passed its first hurdle.

"I think New Zealand's always been a country that's really stood up for equality of rights and egalitarian society, being the first country to give women the vote. We've been making slow progress in a number of other areas."

Mr Key believes the debate will grow louder and get "quite ferocious" as the bill progresses.

"All I've said to my MPs is 'I think you should exercise your conscience as you see fit and do what you believe is right'."

He said the bill is "relatively straightforward" and doesn't see the need for any amendments.

"Essentially it is mirroring the rights that a heterosexual couple have."

The bill has been sent to a select committee for public submissions.

NZN

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Comments

2/09/2012 2:53:45 p.m.

Craig Young wrote:

However, virtually all of the societies that I've listed have optimal democratic electoral systems like our own MMP.

And do you reckon these antigay wowsers would let there be a referendum if we were debating euthanasia instead of same-sex marriage? Probably not.

1/09/2012 4:47:32 p.m.

frank wrote:

yes, but that does not mean they had a right to do it.In europe all one has to do is mention human rights and they all fall into line. The only real democratic countries are Ireland and the Swiss ,they have binding referendums, other countries who do not have binding referendums .The governments of these countries run rough shod over the people usually for their own political futures

1/09/2012 1:00:44 p.m.

Craig Young wrote:

Yet, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Belgium, the Netherlands, Portugal and Spain have introduced marriage equality anyway, and the United Kingdom, France and Luxembourg are in the process of doing so.

31/08/2012 5:22:49 p.m.

frank wrote:

John Key is wrong. The european human rights commission said there are no human rights involved in gay marriage

31/08/2012 10:09:39 a.m.

Craig Young wrote:

Raises an interesting question about Afghanistan, doesn't it? In the UK, one of the advocates of marriage equality is a decorated gay Iraqi War veteran and his civil union partner. Given that lesbians and gay men have served alongside straight New Zealanders in the military for the last two decades, and are willing to undertake equality of sacrifice in that context, why can't we similarly expect equality of opportunity when it comes to marriage equality?

30/08/2012 4:44:01 p.m.

back to work wrote:

Too many people with time on their hands. They should stop thinking about their sexuality and start doing some work.

30/08/2012 3:31:32 p.m.

Geranium wrote:

If two guys love each other, what's the problem? If people want to moan about something, moan about sending soldiers to Afghanistan to kill people in a war that cant be won and is not our business. The world would be a better place with more gays and less wars.

30/08/2012 2:47:17 p.m.

abrahams royal seed. wrote:

every person in parliament will be asked to explain their vote to the only just righteous in corruptible judge that day when all the dead a raised up for judgement you see god gives them a fair trial , but you mps will explain your vote and answer for it that's thus saith the lord.they are so far gone today they think freedom is the ability to be able to do what ever you want , well that's a lie liberty is the freedom to be able to do what is right not any old thing you like.

30/08/2012 2:42:41 p.m.

Carlos wrote:

How queer ?