Public Side-lined as Activists Force Cultural Change
Public Side-lined as Activists Force Cultural
Change
“While proponents of the redefinition of
marriage continue to move the bill forward, the public of
New Zealand has been side lined” says Colin Craig, leader
of the Conservative Party.
“We have a Select
Committee that refused to hear many submitters, cases of MPs
refusing to meet with constituents, and last night a
proposal to put the matter to a referendum was voted down in
parliament. “
“The irony is, that most of the MPs
who opposed the referendum proposal last night, expect the
National government to hold and be guided by a referendum on
state asset sales. This double standard is hard to justify
when you consider that the sale of state assets was a
declared policy prior to last election, unlike redefining
marriage which the public have not had the chance to
consider or vote on.
Mr Craig says “Supporters of
this bill have from the outset maintained that this bill
does no harm and will not affect the existing institution of
marriage. This is simply not true, as the redefinition of
marriage is a cultural change being forced upon New
Zealanders. To make this change without a mandate from the
people is utterly inappropriate.”
“The debate last
night was disappointing. Very few MPs commented on what this
change will mean to New Zealand society and what future
impacts can be expected. “
“There was little
mention of the change to adoption practice, and that as a
nation we are now proposing that same-sex parents provide an
equally good parenting arrangement as a Mum and Dad. This is
a highly contestable viewpoint, and one that deserves
extensive discussion with reference to the relevant
research. Independent polling shows that New Zealanders
clearly think that a loving Mum and Dad is the preferred
parenting arrangement for adoptive children. Fifteen years
from now will those who supported the bill last night be
willing to face such children as teenagers and explain why
they thought they could do without a Mum or
Dad?
"There seemed to be little understanding that the
bill promotes Gender Neutralisation. This is most obviously
seen in the impending removal of terms such as “bride”
and “bridegroom” from marriage forms and “husband”
and “wife" from certain legislation including the Adoption
Act. Gender difference does matter and the combination of
both male and female in a marriage and in parenting is
unique and distinct from a same sex relationship. I believe
a majority of New Zealanders support the current
differentiation that exists in New Zealand law.” Says Mr
Craig.
ENDS