Copeland Gordon: Civil Union Bill — Procedure Third Reading 
Copeland Gordon: Civil Union Bill — Procedure Third Reading 
[Volume:622;Page:17650] 
GORDON COPELAND (United Future) 
: 
 I am simply amazed that so many MPs have uncritically repeated the claim that civil unions will not interfere with people’s marriages. Nobody has ever claimed that this bill will interfere with people’s marriages. Rather it is society’s understanding of marriage and the false signals that will be sent out especially to younger people that are being distorted when marriage and same-sex partnerships are simply put on a par. They are not equivalent or equal. Marriage is unique. It is different from same-sex relationships—sexually reproductively and therefore morally. 
Today if this bill becomes law we will have removed yet another moral signpost from the landscape of our beautiful country. It will change what our children and grandchildren are taught in the school system. Good law should always conform to basic moral principles. If Parliament has any desire to build strong families it should pass laws that reinforce the moral values that people not only endeavour to live by—not always successfully—but wish to see taught to their children and grandchildren. If we pass this law giving the stamp of legal approval to same-sex partnerships as distinct from tolerance for such partnerships which is the status quo then the law and the morality of many New Zealanders will be in contradiction and in conflict one with the other. 
New Zealanders then face a most cruel choice. Either they lose their moral sense or they lose their respect for the law and the lawmakers. A new and unfortunate step will have been taken whereby Parliament holds itself out not only as lawmaker but also as a new and rival source of moral truth itself. The tragedy is that this most unsatisfactory result is completely unnecessary. Only one of the more than 150000 de facto couples in this country has indicated to me any interest in civil unioning and that came only after I put out a press release last Monday stating that I knew of none. 
Information provided to all MPs by the Parliamentary Library and overseas evidence show that once the novelty factor wears off only about 55 homosexual partners a year will be civil unionised. The public easily forgets that the majority of gays and lesbians have no interest in entering into civil unions. I know many who are of that view. 
So why do we risk perpetuating the deep division within New Zealand society? It makes no sense. The deep division now evident in our country reminds me of the 1981 Springbok Tour—of divided families divided workplaces and people afraid to voice their real feelings. People now fear being labelled homophobic. People have marched to Parliament. People are gathering in silent protest outside Parliament as I speak. 
In the second reading on a conscience vote all of Cabinet voted in favour of this bill yet the polls show that the people of New Zealand were divided about fifty-fifty. This House should shelve this bill while there is still time. We should pull back from the brink. I appeal to members of Parliament today that when they vote in the third reading they vote according to their own conscience. They should not be afraid to follow their conscience.