Two Question Referendum Required on Same Sex Marriage
Rt Hon Winston Peters
New Zealand
First Leader
14 August 2012
Two Question Referendum Required on
Same Sex Marriage
New Zealand First has renewed calls for a binding referendum to allow the public to have its say on same sex marriage.
Rt Hon Winston Peters says
the Marriage (Definition of Marriage) Amendment Bill does
not adequately address the issues and a two-question
referendum is required.
• “We need to
let the public say whether the definition of marriage should
be changed to include same sex couples.
•
“We should also be asking if the Civil Union Act
should be amended to allow Civil Union couples the same
rights as married couples.”
Mr Peters says no
political party campaigned strongly for same-sex marriage
during the 2011 election, so there is no clear answer as to
what New Zealanders want.
“These are issues of public morality and thus it should be for the public to decide, not temporarily empowered politicians, particularly those MPs who are adamant that the public should not have its say.
“A referendum is the only way to accurately gauge what the country wants.
“If Louisa Wall believes she has
the public’s support, she should be willing to amend her
Bill to first include a referendum held at the same time,
for example, as the Asset Sales referendum,” says Mr
Peters
ENDS