Hon Bill English National Party MP

10 December 2004

Controversy looms with Relationships Bill

National MP Bill English says Labour faces a huge hurdle with new legislation that bundles de facto relationships and marriages into one legal framework.

The Civil Union Act's partner-bill, the Relationships (Statutory References) Bill, has been held back by the select committee which is having trouble finalising the detail of the legislation.

"The Civil Union Act will affect very few couples but the Relationships Bill stands to affect anyone in any kind of relationship," says Mr English.

"Under this legislation, all couples, whether or not they are even serious about their relationship, will find themselves with the same rights and obligations as a husband and wife.

"This is social engineering of a far greater degree than even the civil union legislation," says Mr English.

ENDS

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Gordon Campbell: On the Sony cyber attack

Given the layers of meta-irony involved, the saga of the Sony cyber attack seemed at the outset more like a snarky European art film than a popcorn entry at the multiplex.

Yet now with (a) President Barack Obama weighing in on the side of artistic freedom and calling for the US to make a ‘proportionate response’quickly followed by (b) North Korea’s entire Internet service going down, and with both these events being followed by (c) Sony deciding to backtrack and release The Interview film that had made it a target for the dastardly North Koreans in the first place, then ay caramba…the whole world will now be watching how this affair pans out. More>>