Baldock Larry: Relationships (Statutory References) Bill — In Committee 
Baldock Larry: Relationships (Statutory References) Bill — In Committee 
[Volume:624;Page:19128] 
LARRY BALDOCK (United Future) 
: 
 I recall when the Prime Minister stated her intention for what was called an omnibus bill and is now referred to as the Relationships (Statutory References) Bill that it would result in the Marriage Act having no practical effect. She said that in an interview with the gay magazine  
Express 
. It is therefore some consolation to the thousands of submitters who have opposed this legislation and the civil union legislation that as a result of the amendments made by the Justice and Electoral Committee only married couples—men and women in New Zealand—can refer to themselves as husband and wife. While I am sure this is not all that the opponents of the legislation had hoped for I think it is worth recognising this milestone in the battle that has been going on in New Zealand during the last year. 
We are all born male and female and with the nurture of our parents we grow into men and women and into adulthood. Although some casual encounter and biology can turn us into mothers and fathers and a loose relationship can turn into a partnership only a decision to commit ourselves to someone of the opposite sex for a lifelong committed relationship makes us husband and wife. 
Those words are very important to hundreds of thousands of New Zealanders. A healthy society needs more dedicated husbands and wives—in fact it depends upon them—and they deserve to maintain that special distinction in New Zealand law. 
Although illness accident or the breakdown of relationships can leave too many adults on their own and often parenting on their own and therefore in need of and deserving of society’s support all the research I have ever seen states convincingly that husbands and wives in lifelong relationships in good marriages are healthier happier have the most fulfilling sexual relationships are even wealthier and most important provide the best environment to raise happy well-adjusted children who become tomorrow’s good citizens which I believe we all welcome. 
As I mentioned earlier I welcome the fact that the select committee and the House have thwarted some of the Prime Minister’s stated intentions to make marriage have no practical effect in New Zealand. I will still however be voting against this bill because rather than taking the sensible option of affording all adults the opportunity to register a relationship for the purposes of next of kin rights and responsibilities as proposed in the Committee stage of the Civil Union Bill the Government has created a dishonest replica of marriage solely for the benefit of same-sex couples and their desire for recognition and approval by society. 
I along with everyone else in this Chamber I am sure hope that everyone in this country experiences happiness fulfilment and companionship with whomever he or she chooses but I do not believe the Government should sanction and treat all relationships as being equal and the same and pass civil union legislation. I have no doubt that at some enlightened time in the not too distant future Parliament will revisit this legislation and amend it considerably. The natural law that leads to the fulfilment of human beings cannot be altered by an Act of Parliament or by the will of a Government and society will eventually reject this mistake after experiencing the resulting consequences in our country. 
This bill could perhaps be called the “New Zealand Goes Its Own Way (In Contrast with the Rest of the World) Bill” because on 6 December last year the United Nations passed the Doha Declaration on the Family which was supported by 139 nations. It called on member States to “uphold preserve and defend the institution of marriage; take effective measures to strengthen the stability of marriage by among other things encouraging the full and equal partnership of husband and wife within a committed and enduring marital relationship;” and also to “establish effective policies and practices to condemn and remedy abusive relationships within marriage and the family including the establishment of public agencies to assist men women children and families in crisis;”. That sounds like a very good instruction for any Government but our Government dissociated us from it.