Tag Archives: Louisa Wall

New Zealand legalizes gay marriage

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New Zealand has become the first country in the Asia-Pacific region, and the 13th country in the world, to legalize gay marriage.

The third reading of a marriage equality bill was held in the New Zealand parliament today (Wednesday 17 April) and was passed by 77 MPs’ votes to 44.

Louisa-Wall-marriage-equality-rally-2012

‘Excluding one group from marriage is oppressive and unacceptable,’ said the Bill’s sponsor Labour MP Louisa Wall, who was wearing a rainbow top for the occasion, when introducing the Bill.

‘Nothing could make me more proud to be a New Zealander than passing this bill.’

The speeches before the vote were overwhelmingly celebratory in tone, marking the vote as a historic milestone for civil rights in New Zealand.

National MP Maurice Williamson said ‘a big gay rainbow’ across his electorate was a ‘sign’ that the bill would be passed today.

Fellow National MP Jami-Lee Ross gave a less jokey but just as supportive speech in favor of the Bill.

‘Nobody gets hurt when gay couples say they’re married, but gay couples who want to be married are hurt when they are kept from marrying by the state,’ said Ross, who added that referendums are inappropriate for minority issues.

Gay Labour MP Grant Robertson shared a personal story about the hope the passing of the Homosexual Law Reform Act, which decriminalized sex between men, gave him as a teenager in 1986.

Green Party MP Kevin Hague pointed out that when he met his partner 28 years ago their relationship was illegal. He said he is happy to see gay relationships being officially sanctioned in his lifetime, but regrets that his parents didn’t live to see this day.

‘With this bill, Parliament stretches out its arms … and says “you belong”,’ said Hague.

-continue reading at  Gay Star News.

New Zealand is the 13th country to pass equal marriage legislation, but two others have it by the back door, by court ruling. In Mexico, Mexico City and two other states have approved gay marriage for their own areas, but most of the country has not. But because the courts have ruled that all marriages must be recognized by all states, any couple unable to marry in their own state, can do so legally and have the marriage recognized, simply by holding the wedding in one of the three states where it is legal. In Brazil, courts first ruled that the constitution requirement for equal treatment requires that same – sex couples must have  civil unions, with all the rights and benefits of full marriage. In a later decision, it was ruled that any couple with a civil union could have it recognized as full marriage in the eyes of the law. So de facto, full legal recognition of same – sex marriage is available in both Mexico and Brazil.

In addition to New Zealand, parliaments in France and Uruguay have also approved equality legislation this month, the Irish consitutional convention voted overwhelmingly to recommend a change in the country’s constitution to permit it, Colombia is obliged by court decision to approve it by mid-year, and the British parliament is currently engaged in committee stage debates on legislation for the UK, which is expected to pass.

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(New Zealand) Gay marriage vote could be close

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Labour Party MP Louisa Wall is close to securing the support to legalise same-sex marriage, a Herald poll of MPs shows.

However, many MPs were refusing to commit to a decision on the marriage equality bill, and the final vote could come down to the wire.

A straw poll of all 121 MPs found that fifty-four MPs have indicated they would support it at least in its early stages, or were considering supporting it.

The bill, which was expected to come before Parliament in late August, needed 61 votes to pass.

New Zealand First this afternoon indicated that it might abstain from the vote, because it preferred to put the issue to a public referendum.

This would mean the bill would need 57 votes to pass.

New Zealand First leader Winston Peters said: “Serious issues like this should be decided by the public of this country and not a few temporary empowered politicians.”

But he would not give a straight answer when asked to confirm whether his party would opt out of voting.

“We are not voting for it. We believe it should be by way of a public referendum.”

All members of the Greens, the Maori Party, Mana, United Future and most of the Labour MPs have backed the bill.

If the remaining eight “undecided” Labour MPs backed their colleague’s bill, it would pass.

National remained split on whether to vote for a change to marriage legislation.

Eight National MPs including Prime Minister John Key said they were in favour of same-sex marriage, but the vast majority of the party was undecided.

Most of the undecided group said they were waiting to properly read the bill, or were consulting with their constituents before making their mind up.

 –NZ Herald News.

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(New Zealand): Same sex marriage has wide support

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An early sounding-out of MPs suggests a bill which aims to legalise same-sex marriage will have the numbers to pass into law.

Parliament will debate the redefinition of marriage as early as next month after a bill in the name of Labour Party MP Louisa Wall was pulled from the ballot.

At present, marriage is not defined in the Marriage Act, and Ms Wall’s bill would make it clear that marriage is a union of two people, “regardless of their sex, sexual orientation or gender identity”.

The bill would be decided by a conscience vote instead of along party lines.

A Herald survey of MPs received 76 responses out of 122. Of those who responded, a clear majority of 43 supported the bill or were leaning towards backing it.

Thirty-two MPs had not decided which way they would vote.

Just one MP, New Zealand First’s Richard Prosser, said he would definitely oppose it, but a handful more indicated they were likely to oppose it on the grounds that their constituency was conservative on issues of homosexuality.

Ms Wall said she was confident of the bill’s passage into law because she had the support of Prime Minister John Key, Opposition leader David Shearer, and the majority of the public.

But she expected “an array of views” from New Zealanders if it reached the committee stage.

Mr Key has previously indicated he would support the bill at first reading.

 – full report at  NZ Herald News.

 

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