Tue, 22 June 2004

Rainbow Labour unreservedly supports the Civil Union Bill and Relationships (Statutory References) Bill.

"The civil union legislation introduced by the Government is a fair response to the pressing need for legal equality for same-sex and de facto couples", said Rainbow Labour Co-Chair, Michael Wallmannsberger.

The bills will provide equal rights and responsibilities for all couples and will recognise de facto and same-sex relationships that are currently ignored by the law.

The civil unions approach respects the values of New Zealanders who hold the traditional view that marriage is between a man and a woman but ends unjustified discrimination against same-sex and de facto couples.

"These changes are in-step with the trend in other countries, some of which have a far less prestigious track-record on human rights issues than New Zealand", Mr Wallmannsberger concluded.

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>>