ReginaGeorge
March 13th, 2013, 05:29 AM
Same-sex marriage has inched another step closer after Parliament overwhelmingly backed it at the second hurdle, with only a handful more MPs turning against the bill.
Labour MP Louisa Wall's bill passed by 77 votes to 44 votes late last night in front of a near-full public gallery, a drop in support of 3 votes from the first reading. Cabinet ministers Gerry Brownlee, Jonathan Coleman and Murray McCully and National MP Ian McKelvie voted against after initially supporting the bill.
An attempt by New Zealand First leader Winston Peters to delay the law change until a referendum could be held at the 2014 general election was voted down .
New MPs Aaron Gilmore, who replaced former Speaker Lockwood Smith, and Labour's Carol Beaumont, who replaced Charles Chauvel, both backed the legislation.
The bill's sponsor, Labour MP Louisa Wall, told Parliament that the discussion of the legislation had highlighted the discrimination felt by gay communities in New Zealand.
"The agony and hardship that so many who bravely made submissions have had to face is unreasonable. But what's totally unacceptable, is the state perpetuating that agony and hardship by not issuing marriage licences to loving, consenting and eligible non-heterosexual couples."
She stressed the importance of freedom of religion in making the law change, but also made a plea to churches to consider the rights of the gay and transgender community "with love, compassion and reason".
She cited Archbishop Desmond Tutu's comparison of homosexual persecution to apartheid, and also took inspiration from hip-hop artist Macklemore, quoting his song Same Love: "And I can't change/ Even if I tried/ Even if I wanted to/ I can't change..."
The bill is likely to return to Parliament for the committee stage at the end of the month, when MPs would pick through the legislation clause by clause.
It could be passed as soon as next month.
Full article: <http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10871107&ref=fbheadline>
This is amazing! Good work and congrats New Zealand. The third and final vote is expected to be passed without a hitch! :)
Labour MP Louisa Wall's bill passed by 77 votes to 44 votes late last night in front of a near-full public gallery, a drop in support of 3 votes from the first reading. Cabinet ministers Gerry Brownlee, Jonathan Coleman and Murray McCully and National MP Ian McKelvie voted against after initially supporting the bill.
An attempt by New Zealand First leader Winston Peters to delay the law change until a referendum could be held at the 2014 general election was voted down .
New MPs Aaron Gilmore, who replaced former Speaker Lockwood Smith, and Labour's Carol Beaumont, who replaced Charles Chauvel, both backed the legislation.
The bill's sponsor, Labour MP Louisa Wall, told Parliament that the discussion of the legislation had highlighted the discrimination felt by gay communities in New Zealand.
"The agony and hardship that so many who bravely made submissions have had to face is unreasonable. But what's totally unacceptable, is the state perpetuating that agony and hardship by not issuing marriage licences to loving, consenting and eligible non-heterosexual couples."
She stressed the importance of freedom of religion in making the law change, but also made a plea to churches to consider the rights of the gay and transgender community "with love, compassion and reason".
She cited Archbishop Desmond Tutu's comparison of homosexual persecution to apartheid, and also took inspiration from hip-hop artist Macklemore, quoting his song Same Love: "And I can't change/ Even if I tried/ Even if I wanted to/ I can't change..."
The bill is likely to return to Parliament for the committee stage at the end of the month, when MPs would pick through the legislation clause by clause.
It could be passed as soon as next month.
Full article: <http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10871107&ref=fbheadline>
This is amazing! Good work and congrats New Zealand. The third and final vote is expected to be passed without a hitch! :)