MEDIA RELEASE
27 February 2013
‘Husband’ and ‘Wife’ To Be Removed From Family Laws

Family First NZ says the Select Committee report on the same-sex marriage bill confirms that the terms ‘husband’ and ‘wife’ will be removed from 16 pieces of legislation as it seeks to redefines marriage.

The report also confirms that the committee has ignored thousands of submitters including organisations who have requested to make oral submissions. There have been 21,533 submissions of which almost 3,000 are unique submissions, yet the committee has heard a little over 200 of them as they attempt to ram the bill through – equating to 1% of submissions. A number of significant organisations have been excluded from the opportunity to make an oral submission.

"National and Labour are ramming this bill through because they know that their core voter support bases are not happy with it, and they are desperate to get it off the political agenda – but in the process, they are trampling over the rights of New Zealanders to have their chance to speak up and contribute to the debate on this issue," says Bob McCoskrie, National Director of Family First NZ and coordinator of the Protect Marriage campaign.

"The fact that a record of more than 20,000 submissions has 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, and 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," says Mr McCoskrie.

“Other Members’ bills are not being rammed through at such speed. Yet the same-sex marriage bill has had just six months to consider 21,500-plus submissions, hear oral submissions, and report back.”

“This is a cynical attempt to ram through a highly controversial law change without due consideration.”

There has also been an embarrassing backdown by the politicians and the Human Rights Commission who argued that the bill originally put forward by Labour MP Louisa Wall protected faith groups and celebrants. They now acknowledge that the law needs to be amended despite originally labeling Family First’s concerns as ‘scare-mongering’.

Family First is seeking legal advice on the effects of the proposed amendment.
ENDS

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Gordon Campbell: On Failures Of Care For Those With Mental Disabilities

Hard to imagine a more disturbing insight into the treatment of the vulnerable than the Health Ministry report on Te Roopu Taurima o Manukau. The Ministry has found that the country’s only kaupapa Maori intellectual disability residential care provider has been “seriously dysfunctional.”

The ministry says the business has failed to recruit and retain quality staff – and says the kaimahi (caregivers) that have been employed are seriously unsuitable for the job, lacking basic knowledge. But Te Roopu Taurima o Manukau doesn’t get all the blame. The report says there’s a significant gap under disability laws to ensure there’s oversight by qualified clinical professionals. More>>