4 February 2013

Rushed Marriage Bill Angers Jilted Submitters

More than 200 submitters who have been denied the opportunity to make oral submissions on the Marriage (Definition of Marriage) Amendment Bill have written an Open Letter to the Prime Minister John Key, the Speaker of the House, and the Select Committee considering the bill, questioning the speed with which the bill is being pushed through, and asking for the right to make their oral submission.

“This number of submitters is approximately the same as the number of submitters that the Select Committee has actually hand-picked to make oral submissions so far. It is quite evident that this bill is being rammed through and submitters are being effectively censored,” says Bob McCoskrie, National Director of Family First NZ.

“Other Members’ bills are not being rammed through at such speed. Some of these bills are being considered by the same Select Committee. The Parental Leave and Employment Protection (Six Months' Paid Leave) Amendment Bill was introduced a month before the same-sex marriage bill, and yet the Select Committee report is not due until August 2013. The Lobbying Disclosure Bill also had its first reading a month before the same-sex marriage bill, yet the report is not due until the end of July. The Members of Parliament (Remuneration and Services) Bill - a government bill - has 12 months for the Select Committee to consider.”

“Yet the same-sex marriage bill has just six months to consider 20,000-plus submissions, hear oral submissions, and report back. This is a cynical but calculated attempt to ram through a highly controversial law change without due consideration and debate,” says Mr McCoskrie.

Family First NZ has written to the Chairperson of the Select Committee twice without any acknowledgement or answers to their queries, and they are also seeking assistance from the new Speaker of the House.

TEXT OF OPEN LETTER

OPEN LETTER

Denying the Opportunity to Make Oral Submissions on the ‘Same-Sex Marriage’ Bill

Dear Prime Minister Rt Hon John Key,

Speaker of the House Hon David Carter,

Government Administration Select Committee.

We, the undersigned, are calling for the Government Administration Select Committee hearing submissions on the Marriage (Definition of Marriage) Amendment Bill to hear our oral submissions.

The fact that a record 20,000 submissions have been received on this bill shows just how important this issue is to so many people. It is a major change to an important human institution and foundation of our society.

We reject any claim that some of our submissions are ‘form letters’ simply because some of us followed the easy-to-use layout guidelines provided by groups such as Family First NZ. If anything, they assisted us in participating in the democratic process. Why is that involvement now being denied?

Our submissions were carefully considered and expressed our own personal views on this controversial bill.

We note that other Members’ bills are not being dealt with at such speed.

The Parental Leave and Employment Protection (Six Months' Paid Leave) Amendment Bill was introduced a month before the same-sex marriage bill, and yet the Select Committee report is not due until August 2013 i.e. more than a year to consider.
The Gambling (Gambling Harm Reduction) Amendment Bill has 11 months to consider and hear submissions before the Select Committee report is due.
The Lobbying Disclosure Bill (also being considered by the Government Administration Select Committee) also had its first reading a month before the same-sex marriage bill, yet the report is not due until the end of July i.e. 12 months to consider.
The Members of Parliament (Remuneration and Services) Bill - a government bill also being considered by the Government Administration Select Committee - has 12 months for the Select Committee to consider.
And the Manukau City Council (Regulation of Prostitution in Specified Places) Bill had its 1st Reading in September 2010 and the report is not due until July 2013!

Yet the same-sex marriage bill has just six months to consider 20,000+ submissions, hear oral submissions, and report back.

Why the rush? We believe the marriage bill is hugely significant to our nation – as evidenced by the massive number of submissions.

It is quite obvious that the same-sex marriage bill is being rushed through without appropriate debate and consideration.

In a healthy democracy, the people are entitled to speak and deserve to be heard in full. It should not be rushed, and democracy should not be denied, just because of a pre-determined reporting date which fails to recognise the weight of the issue.

We ask for the right to speak to our submission.

Signed

First name/s

Surname

City

Organisation (if applicable)

John & Rosemary

Adams

Palmerston North

Darryn

Alexander

Auckland

Grant

Alexander

Rotorua

John

Allen

Upper Hutt

Bernie

Allen

Auckland

Heather

Ameye-Bevers

Auckland

Peter

Anderson

Auckland

Mairangi Bay Community Church

John

Aplin

Auckland

Zachary

Ardern

Auckland

George

Armitage

Tauranga

Alan

Armstrong

Timaru

Kerryn

Bailey

Auckland

Bayleigh

Baird

Twizel

Reuel

Baptista

Auckland

Chris & Jenny

Bargh

Martinborough

Dominic

Baron

Upper Hutt

Sally & John

Barton

Doaa

Bayoumy

Auckland

Islam

Dennis & Valda

Beach

Tony

Becker

Peter & Judith

Best

Gisborne

Jean

Beynon

Greymouth

Margaret

Bijl

Auckland

Chuck

Bird

Waikato

Stephen & Christine

Black

Hamilton

Angela

Bodley

Auckland

Elaine

Borger

Nelson

Margaret

Bowden

Mike

Brewer

Auckland

Antony & Deanne

Bridle

Silverdale

Jeph

Burns

Canterbury

Nick

Burtenshaw

Auckland

Deborah

Burton

Wellington

Scott

Butters

Kathleen

Campbell

Otaki

Bill

Capamagian

Tauranga

Brian

Caughley

Wellington

Intercessors for New Zealand

Carl

Cerecke

Auckland

Mark

Chapman

Hamilton

Peter

Cheyne

Dunedin

Patsy

Christie

Kapiti

Simone

Colwill

Auckland

Peter

Constable

Christchurch

Neil

Coup

Lower Hutt

Margaret

Cowan

Timaru

Leighton & Stephanie

Crocker

Neville & Rosie

Cross

Timaru

Richard, Linda & Jason

Crowsen

Auckland

Hugh

Cunningham

Hawera

Wayne

Curham

Canterbury

Chris & Kara

Dawson

Hamilton

Bernadette

de Wit Quaife

Dyanne

Dixon

Auckland

Gay-Lyn

Dos Santos

Hamilton

Murray & Alice

Downs

Te Awamutu

Paul

Duncan

Glen Eden

George

Elkington

Porirua

Lois

Elliott

Northland

Tasha & Stuart

Ellis

Auckland

Levi

Ensing

Josiah

Ensing

Auckland

Hank

Ensing

Waikato

Rosemary

Erlam

Auckland

Tim & Lynne

Euinton

Auckland

Marian

Evers

Masterton

Jane

Eyre

Hamilton

Phil

Fairbrass

Wellington

Wainuiomata Baptist Church

Robin

Fellingham

Fielding

Jane

Fergusson

Morrinsville

David

Flavell

Auckland

Steve

Fletcher

Lower Hutt

Tim & Michelle

Fletcher

Te Kuiti

Rev Michael

Flynn

Palmerston North

Reformed Church of Palmerston North.

Hermann

Frank

Timaru

Bruce & Helene

Fraser

Martin

Frauenstein

Christchurch

Dr Pavel

Gajdusek

Timaru

Luboslava

Gajduskova

Timaru

Mike

Gallagher

Auckland

Jenny

Glen

Kapiti

Celine

Goulding

Peter

Grace

Roland

Green

Dunedin

Roger & Karyn

Hamon

Waipa

Julianne

Hannah

Riccarton

Patrick

Harris

Auckland

David

Hart

Tauranga

Sandra

Hellewell

Christchurch

Simeon

Hemus

Auckland

Phil

Henderson

Napier

Onekawa Bible Church

Janet

Higham

Auckland

Julian

Highsted

Christchurch

Eric

Hill

Graham & Jess

Hodder

Brandon

Holman

Leo & Glenys

Hume

Auckland

John

Irvine

Hamiton

Bert & Robyn

Jackson

Hamilton

Eric & Joan

Jackson

Stephen

Jenkinson

Hawkes Bay

Stella

Kenyon

Hamilton

Nick

Kile

Kile Family Trust Limited

Jo

Kimi

Auckland

Jaap

Knegtmans

Upper Hutt

Graeme

Knowles

Wellington

Carol

Kohl

Patricia

Kubala

Wellington

Bill

Lambert

Bronwyn

Lane

Warkworth

Pauline

Lanigan

Howick

Geoff

Laurent

Auckland

Frances

Lavin

Michael

Lawry

Auckland

Iliganoa

Leota Ah Poe

Manurewa

Ruth & Noel

Linton

Tauranga

Bruce

Logan

Christchurch

Maurice

Lovegrove

Pukekohe

Franklin Christian Lobby

Anne

Maclean

Tony

McCall

Christine

McDonald

Masterton

Rosemary

McElroy

Auckland

Marion

McEwing

Madeline

McGilvray

Invercargill

Robert

McGowan

Andrew

McIntosh

Wellington

James

McKillop

New Plymouth

Dennis

McLeod

Agnes

McLintock

Christchurch

Jim & Jenny

McPhee

Melton

Allan

McPherson

Wanganui

Allistair

Meikle

Gore

Roy

Menzies

Auckland

Victor

Meyer

Auckland

Hudson

Millar

Hamilton

Joanna

Moss

Peter

Mullholland

Wanganui

Barry

Muntz

Tairua

Ruth

Murray

Auckland

Gavin

Naftel

Wellington

Tani

Newton

Oamaru

Nigel

Ngatuakana

Ryan

Nickelchok

Auckland

Emil

Nye

Okiato Russell

Angela

O'Donnell

Christchurch

Brendan

O'Hagan

Blenheim

Blenheim Christian Ministers Association

Paul & Philippa

O'Neill

Dunedin

Tuvalu & Ingrid

Papau

Auckland

Matthew

Parfitt

Christchurch

Gary

Parker

William

Pascoe

Palmerston North

Stewart

Patrick

Gisborne

Mangapapa Church

Roger

Peart

Raglan

Mary

Pepping

Ron & Kay

Peterson

Nelson

Jessica

Polgase

Jase and Evelyn

Preston

Waikato

Hilary

Radloff

Mrs Vanessa

Ralph

Kapiti Coast

Diana

Ranger

Wellington

Raffi

Rassam

Victoria

Raw

Blenheim

John

Redshaw

Hamilton

Jonathan

Rees

Masterton

Christine

Reeves

Gisborne

Brent & Sue

Reid

Masterton

Joshua

Riddle

Ken

Riddle

Chris, Shalini & Denver

Saldhana

Maria

Schmetzer

Christchurch

Bert

Schoneveld

Boyd

Scirkovich

Hamilton

Robert & Linda

Scott

Wanganui

Tracey

Scott

Northland

Colin

Shilston

Warkworth

Gateway Church

Scott

Silsbee

Hamilton

Stephanie

Simmons

Dave

Sowerby

Wellington

Gordon & Helen

Stanley

Northland

Otamatea Cooperating Parish

Susan

Steele

Auckland

Meryl

Strawbridge

Palmerston North

Todd & Caroline

Stretton

Auckland

Gina

Sunderland

Upper Hutt

Riverstones Church

Trevor

Taylor

Westport

Tony

Thompson

Auckland

Lucy & Chris

Thomson-Ryan

Jonathan & Meredith

Thorpe

Nelson

Bill

Tissingh

Melda

Townsley

Wellington

Catholics United for the Faith

Sheryll

Turei

Te Aroha

Christine

Turner

Daniel

Tustin

Bay of Plenty

Don & Nancy

van Dorp

Andre

van Heerden

Auckland

Robert

van Wichen

Reformed Church of Bishopdale

Rob & Janet

Vaughan

Arnoud

Vergunst

Carterton

John

Verhoeff

Sheldon

Vincent

Dargaville

Elodie

Vujcich

Kaikohe

John

Vujcich

Kaikohe

Kaikohe (Rau Marama) Community Trust

Joy

Wadham

Renee

Wall

Hamilton

Terence

Wallbank

Auckland

Nicola

Walsh

Tauranga

Joshua & Frances

Wanhill

Dennis & Norma

Walker

Northland

Chris

Watson

Wellington

Matthew & Lin Li

Webster

Mike & Anna

Webster

Auckland

Liz

Webster

Hamilton

Mark

Wells

Christchurch

Linda

Wheeler

Patrick

White

Neil

Whitehead

Lower Hutt

Geoff

Wiklund

Auckland

Daniel

Wilkes

Palmerston North

Rosa

Wilkes

Palmerston North

Philip

Wilson

Nelson

David

Wilson

Wainuiomata

Adele

Wi Repa

Hamilton

Peter

Wood

Lower Hutt

Graham

Workman

Mindy

Wu

Hamilton

Hayley

Yoon

Henderson

Andrew

Young

Auckland

Miri

Yun

Wellington

ENDS

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