Connell Brian: Civil Union Bill — Instruction to Committee In Committee 
Connell Brian: Civil Union Bill — Instruction to Committee In Committee 
[Volume:622;Page:17439] 
BRIAN CONNELL (National—Rakaia) 
: 
 My colleague Nick Smith is dead right: when one reads the purpose clause one cannot escape the conclusion that this bill is all about gay marriage. The previous speaker Mr Barnett had the opportunity to acknowledge that fact when he was on his feet. If the proponents of this bill would only acknowledge that fact I could at least have respect for their position. 
Mr Barnett knows that this bill is about gay marriage because he is its architect and he has said publicly that that was exactly what he intended. He intended this bill to be about gay marriage but now when he has the opportunity to bring the bill to Parliament he will not acknowledge that fact. The public record will demonstrate that he did say that—and that the Prime Minister said it as well. 
Of all the discussion and talk from the homosexual community about tolerance and of all the mail I have received the only hate correspondence I have had in the last few days has come from the homosexual community—simply because I would not buy its smokescreen argument that this bill is about human rights. Because it is not; it is about gay marriage—period. As I have said to Mr Barnett and others if they had the courage simply to acknowledge that fact I could at least respect them. At this stage of proceedings I really cannot. 
We in this Parliament have absolutely no mandate no mandate at all to pass this bill—let alone to pass it under urgency. If this bill were so good and if the Government really believed it was in the best interests of New Zealanders why did the Government not make the subject an election issue rather than take it off the agenda? The answer is simple. The Government knew and Mr Barnett knew that they would be thrown out of office. 
That is why this cynical Government has taken the issue off the agenda. This Government is totally without morality. It is bankrupt. In fact it is rotten to the core and the Prime Minister is the worst apple. That is why she is voting for the bill. 
The CHAIRPERSON (Hon Clem Simich) 
: Order! 
BRIAN CONNELL 
: I raise a point of order Mr Chairperson. On what issue are you bringing me to order? 
The CHAIRPERSON (Hon Clem Simich) 
: I thought you were going a little bit over the top but I invite you to continue. 
BRIAN CONNELL 
: Will this Prime Minister allow a binding referendum on this issue? 
Richard Worth 
: No way. 
BRIAN CONNELL 
: No and do members know why? Overnight she told the nation that she will not allow it because parliamentarians come to Parliament to make decisions. The hypocrisy of that argument is not lost on me. This is a Prime Minister who will not even get out of bed without a poll result telling her it is a good idea yet she has the audacity to say to the people of this country that there will not be a binding referendum on this issue. The real reason she will not support Mr Donnelly’s call for a binding referendum is that she knows it would be lost. 
Survey after survey of Kiwis whether on television or radio or by select committee submissions show that New Zealanders do not want a bar of this legislation. That is the only reason this Prime Minister will not put this legislation to the test and let the public of New Zealand decide. 
Was the Prime Minister vocal when Mr Choudhary sat on the fence in respect of the Prostitution Reform Bill? No she said nothing but now she is trumpeting that politicians come to Wellington in order to make decisions. Well she is a politician who does not do that; she uses a very cynical method called polling. Let us think about the term “civil union”. I say it is cold clinical and completely without warmth—just like this Prime Minister.