Perry Edwin: Civil Union Bill — Second Reading 
Perry Edwin: Civil Union Bill — Second Reading 
[Volume:622;Page:17405] 
EDWIN PERRY (NZ First) 
: 
 Firstly I just want to address Georgina Beyer my colleague who shares the Wairarapa electorate. I say to her that I am the youth member for New Zealand First—she was trying to find out who it was. 
This is a serious issue and I remind all those listeners listening to this debate today on the Civil Union Bill of the New Zealand First minority report on the bill. It reads: “New Zealand First believes that issues such as civil unions and other similar social and moral issues should be dealt with through a referendum. This is New Zealand First policy.”—adopted in November 2003—“The Civil Union Bill is controversial legislation which has evoked wide ranging views and emotions and clearly cannot be trusted to the ‘consciences’ of Members of Parliament.”—as mentioned by Mr Mapp. 
The minority report continues: “New Zealand First has received a large amount of communication on this issue with almost 90 percent opposing it. We believe that this would be the result were a referendum to be held and therefore reject the notion that Parliament should supersede the will of the people without first testing it. 
“The most common concern of those opposing the bill is that it undermines the institution of marriage and we believe that it is not for Parliament to tamper with its meaning or place in society. 
“New Zealand First believes this bill is part of a disturbing trend by this current Government to interfere in social and moral issues. Therefore the majority of New Zealand First strongly oppose the Civil Union Bill”—and I am one of them—“and all support the proposition that such issues must be tested by way of referendum.” 
I want to inform the people of New Zealand of the real facts and the truth about the United Future party. It could have stopped this bill and the Prostitution Reform Bill. This situation is no different from what United Future did with the cannabis bill and no different from when the Rt Hon Winston Peters did not agree to the sale of Wellington Airport which caused the coalition to collapse. 
I want to refer to my press release dated 8 September entitled  
NZ First Calls for Referendum on Civil Union Bill 
 which reads: “New Zealand First MP Edwin Perry has called for a public referendum to be held on the Civil Union and the Relationship (Statutory References) bills. 
“The Justice and Electoral committee has been hearing submissions on both bills which would allow same-sex and de-facto couples to legally register their relationships and have rights equal to those of married couples. 
“ ‘Many of the submissions received by the committee argue that the issue of civil union is too important to be decided on by 120 MPs’ said Mr Perry. 
“ ‘It is an issue that a lot of people feel strongly about. Many are divided over what the legislation could mean for the nation as a whole. 
“ ‘As part of New Zealand First policy we believe that issues major affecting New Zealanders as a whole should go to a referendum. 
“ ‘The Civil Union Bill should not be a Government decision but rather one that is left to the people to decide’ concluded Mr Perry.” 
 I want to pay my respects to Tim Barnett for the way he chaired the Justice and Electoral Committee even though I was not there a lot of the time because I was seconded on that committee by my colleague Mr Dail Jones. I want to thank Tim Barnett for the way he equally chaired the responses from all the committee members. 
I also want to say “Hello!” to Lianne Dalziel and to thank her for her experience and cooperative attitude towards myself and certain aspects of the submissions. I think she deserves a place back on the front bench. 
I want to refer to all the letters that I received from people in the Wairarapa. Here is one of them from Mr Selwyn Hill and Maureen Hill: “We write to you to express our total disagreement with the proposed Civil Union Bill before Parliament currently. This bill is against the marriage bond which is a Christian commitment clearly set by Our Lord Jesus when he was on earth as a God-given union. This bill is against the family and against the bonds that hold society and our nation together.”