9 December 2004

Campaign welcomes result

''We welcome this result,'' says Cameron Law, Campaign for Civil Unions spokesperson, responding to today’s Third Reading of the Civil Union Bill which saw 65 MPs voting in favour of the Bill, and 55 MPs voting against.

“The Campaign thanks each of those 65 MPs for making the right decision.

“New Zealand can now stand proudly among the many countries where human rights have triumphed over fear and doubt, and where same-sex couples will now have access to the legal recognition of their relationships.

“This simple call for equality is what the campaign has been all about. All those who have been involved in the campaign have simply wanted to ensure that all couples can access legal recognition, and not be excluded because of their sexual orientation.

“It is time for opponents of the Bill to reconsider their views. This was never a debate about homosexuality or the biblical morality of same-sex relationships. It was – and remains – a debate about whether the law should treat people fairly or not.

“Our answer has always been that it should. That essential fairness, which is a deep-seated part of New Zealand culture, is what Parliament voted to uphold today. It’s something all New Zealanders can be proud of.

“We are now half way through this debate. The next challenge is the passage of the Relationships (Statutory References) Bill, which the Campaign would like to see passed early in the new year. We are confident the debate about that bill will be much less controversial than this debate has been.

“For today, we once again congratulate Parliament on making the right decision, and to every MP who stood by their conscience and voted for the Civil Union Bill,” Cameron Law concluded.

ENDS

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