Dunne Peter: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Dunne Peter: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:618;Page:13767] 
7.  
Hon PETER DUNNE (Leader—United Future) 
 to the  
Associate Minister of Justice 
: What specific rights if any does the Civil Union Bill confer on couples or is this particular bill only of symbolic value? 
Hon DAVID BENSON-POPE (Associate Minister of Justice) 
: 
 The Civil Union Bill confers the right for different and same-sex couples to have their relationship formalised by a registrar or a civil union celebrant and to have their relationship registered under the Births Deaths and Marriages Registration Act. I do not believe that civil union vows or marriage vows for that matter are only of symbolic value. 
Hon Peter Dunne 
: Will the Minister be good enough to confirm that the Civil Union Bill does not confer rights on couples in respect of the ability to inherit property next of kin status visitation rights at hospitals etc. and if he is good enough to confirm that can he explain to the House why the Civil Union Bill is being promoted? 
Hon DAVID BENSON-POPE 
: I am able to confirm that many of the rights mentioned by the questioner are conferred by the tandem legislation. The reason for the Civil Union Bill is to provide an appropriate statutory recognition of alternate forms of relationship. I must say that many people in support of this bill wish that the tolerance they show towards those who choose marriage would be reciprocated with regard to civil unions. 
Lianne Dalziel 
: What reports has the Minister seen of recent reaction to this bill? 
Hon DAVID BENSON-POPE 
: I have received a number of media reports which I will seek leave to table in due course. The first is from today’s  
New Zealand Herald 
 stating that the Civil Union Bill should be passed and that social behaviour would be changed little by the law. Secondly the  
Dominion Post 
 editorial also talked today about what makes a family a success. It states that the Civil Union Bill “is not going to shake the foundations of society.” Thirdly the  
Manawatu Standard 
 which 
reported 4 days ago in an editorial entitled: 
 “ 
Nobody should be second-class” went on to state: “… we all need to look elsewhere where these things are now a familiar part of the social and legal landscape and they will see a lot of happy people.” 
Peter Brown 
: Will the Minister clarify the situation and tell the House what the difference will be to my wife and I if this Civil Union Bill and the Relationships (Statutory References) Bill are passed as they currently exist? 
Hon DAVID BENSON-POPE 
: Assuming that the questioner means “for my wife and me” can I say practically in his case and his wife’s case none. 
Metiria Turei 
: Has the Minister heard any reasonable or common-sense arguments about why a couple who have been living together for a number of years in a committed relationship should not have the right to be defined as immediate family or next of kin in such legislation as the Coroners Act? 
Hon DAVID BENSON-POPE 
: That is a question I think should be properly directed to those people who are not in support of this legislation. 
Larry Baldock 
: Why does the general policy statement in the Civil Union Bill state: “The Bill will address the current situation in which same sex couples cannot receive legal recognition of their loving and committed relationship.” when in fact the Property (Relationships) Act has already given legal recognition to their relationships and the Relationships (Statutory References) Bill will address even further recognition and does this not further confirm that the Civil Union Bill is legally unnecessary? 
Hon DAVID BENSON-POPE 
: No because there are a number of protections that do not flow without this legislation and the rights of de facto and other couples are not adequately protected unless this human rights legislation is progressed by the House. 
Hon Peter Dunne 
: With regard to my first question and to the Minister’s answer to the last supplementary question what specific rights other than the right to a ceremony and having it registered as contained in the Civil Union Bill was he referring to as flowing from this legislation that are not provided for in the tandem legislation? 
Hon DAVID BENSON-POPE 
: There are a number of additional rights and if I am allowed to I will detail five of them. The first one is that the bill confers the right for different sex couples who do not wish to marry to have that relationship legally and socially recognised through a civil union. Secondly the bill also confers the right for same-sex couples to have their relationship legally and socially recognised. Thirdly the registration of a civil union provides a couple with readily available proof of the nature of their relationship rather than relying on a determination of whether their relationship falls under the definition of de facto in the Relationships (Statutory References) Bill. Further the Marriage Act of 1955 does not confer rights on couples except in relation to solemnisation and registration of the relationship. Rights and responsibilities arising from marriage are also established through other statutes. Finally the act of entering into a civil union or marriage can be seen as an important symbolic step as it marks the occasion when a couple makes formal commitments to each other. 
Question time interrupted.