Parliament is presently debating the Property Relationships Bill and will shortly send it to a Select Committee for further consideration.
Earlier this year the government pushed through a motion enabling a large number of amendments to be made to the bill without referral to the Select Committee.
It had been the intention of the Government to pass the bill - proposed by Attorney General Margaret Wilsoin - through all stages without any further select committee consideration.
A decision changing the government's plans in this regard was announced last week.
The bill will place defacto and marriage
relationships on an equal footing in terms of property
rights. It will also grant the same rights to same sex
couples.