an update we have passed the first hurdle
A Parliamentary Select Committee has recommended that a bill to legalise same-sex marriage be passed into law.
The Government Administration Committee said the private member’s bill should progress, but with an amendment to make it clear that no minister was obliged to marry someone against their own beliefs.
The committee report said: “The bill seeks to extend the legal right to marry to same-sex couples; it does not seek to interfere with people’s religious freedoms.”
The Marriage Act would be amended to put beyond doubt that no celebrant recognised by a religious body or nominated by an approved organisation would have to marry a couple if it meant contravening their own, or the organisation’s beliefs.
The bill’s sponsor, Labour MP Louisa Wall, said the law change was an important milestone towards achieving a fairer, more equal New Zealand.
“Marriage equality is about fairness and choice. This process has showed that that message has really resonated with New Zealanders and has been echoed overseas with the recent passage of similar legislation in the UK.”
The report also said that a majority of the select committee agreed that marriage was a human right, and that it was unacceptable for the state to deny this right to same-sex couples.
Some members of the committee felt that marriage was not a right, and should continue to be the sole domain of heterosexual couples.
The committee received 21,533 submissions on the bill, 2898 of which had unique content.
Of the submissions, 10,487 were in favour and 8148 against.
The committee acknowledged that New Zealanders held “sincere and strong beliefs” about the importance of marriage.
“The passion with which submitters made their arguments to us was palpable.”
MPs said they were impressed by the participation of young people in the discussion, with heartfelt submissions heard from both side sides of the debate.
“We are heartened that so many of the younger generation, which is so often maligned as uninterested in politics and marriage, chose to involve themselves in this debate.”
The bill’s second reading will be held on March 13.
The legislation passed its first reading by 80 votes to 40.
and something of interest :
ww.listener.co.nz/commentary/the-internaut/nzs-marriage-equality-bill-a-longblog/
A running blog on the bill that would legalise same-sex marriage in New Zealand. Links to source material, commentary and analysis.
This message is from paul evans-mcleod who started the petition “NZ Government – Support Gay Marriage,” which you signed on Change.org.
View the petition | View and reply to this message online
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I am hopeful that the proposed legislation, which can only be encouraging for Same-Sex couples to commit to a life-long, faithful and monogamous relationship. This ability to commit their lives in faithfulness and love might encourage more heterosexual couples – especially those with children, to take the step of commitment to legal marriage for themselves. In this way, the state of Marriage may be enhanced and not degraded.
Whatever people may think about Gay and Lesbian relationships, they are all about the expression of loving regard for another person in one’s life, and legal Marriage would provide a way to discourage the ethos of sexual promiscuity, that is so devastating to the society in which we now live. If God is love, then every act of commitment to a selfless, loving relationship must contain within it something of God.
I am hopeful that the Church will not get in the way of the passage of this Bill. There are guarantees being built into the legislation that will ensure the right of conscientious objection for ministers and congregations to decide for themselves whether to host or celebrate the marriage of Same-Sex couples.
This legislation will ensure, at least, that civil marriage will be available to those Same-Sex persons who wish to make the commitment to one another in the same way as any other couple in the community – without prejudice – which can only be a good thing.
Father Ron Smith, Christchurch, New Zealand
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