Robson Matt: Civil Union Bill — Procedure Third Reading 
Robson Matt: Civil Union Bill — Procedure Third Reading 
[Volume:622;Page:17660] 
Hon MATT ROBSON (Deputy Leader—Progressive) 
: 
 I thank the Hon Chris Carter for allowing me to share this time-slot. The Progressive Party has supported these two bills from the beginning. As a caucus we have been 100 percent in support of the legislation and I believe we share that with the Green Party in this Parliament. 
I am speaking today on behalf of the Hon Jim Anderton the Progressive leader. This is what Jim Anderton wrote in reply to the open letter from the Catholic bishops on the Civil Union Bill: “I also believe the letter has unnecessarily associated Catholics and the Church alongside the more strident Destiny Church and its very obvious prejudices. I recall that some churches led the charge against Homosexual Law Reform in the 1980s hopefully to their regret later on when they were exposed as bigoted and alarmist. The walls of civilisation did not collapse. Civilisation was enhanced. The moral issues of life continued to be debated. And more people were able to be openly involved in a more tolerant and less discriminatory society. 
“This Bill before Parliament provides a non-discriminatory means of State-recognition of people’s choices to live as partners. For those who believe adults are moral individuals before God this Bill leaves them with the same sorts of moral choices in life that they have always had. I find it naïve to think that a Bill will end civilisation or the family or the sanctity of marriage or going to Church. Whatever changes are taking place in those areas have their own momentum. The key for a sensible society is to find ways of clarifying the legal relationships that people are forming and giving them a measure of dignity without discrimination. 
“There are moral issues in all personal choices. Of course the Catholic Church wants to express a voice in such things and it has an absolute right to do so. But it is a pity that this voice echoes the Destiny Church’s misunderstandings rather than adding to sensible debate about building partnerships and families with love and dignity. And it is even more of a pity that some Catholic leaders aligned themselves with the Destiny Church on political and electoral suggestions. Progressives support laws encouraging long-term loving relationships where people take responsibility for their actions their families and their communities particularly if those same laws reduce discrimination and reinforce the principle of equality …”. 
That is the end of the quote from Jim Anderton; now I take responsibility for the rest. The Progressive Party supports the legislation before Parliament because this legislation will help strengthen long-term meaningful and loving relationships between sovereign and moral adults. The Progressive Party believes that any honest attempt to strengthen meaningful relationships deserves support because there is no doubt that society as a whole benefits from individuals being in caring stable and long-term relationships which deliver more social stability. The action we are taking in Parliament today is a step forward for justice—just as across the road the step taken by the Supreme Court today is a step forward for justice—in New Zealand.