Mackey Moana: Civil Union Bill — In Committee Procedure 
Mackey Moana: Civil Union Bill — In Committee Procedure 
[Volume:622;Page:17509] 
MOANA MACKEY (Labour) 
: 
 I am not sure whether the member who has just resumed her seat realises that homosexuality was actually decriminalised nearly 20 years ago. We had this thin end of the wedge argument at the Justice and Electoral Committee and there is a big difference between practices that currently are illegal under New Zealand law and practices that currently are not. The reality is that homosexual couples live in legal consensual relationships. People who have a relationship with their horse or relationships with children are not in legal consensual relationships—by legal I mean they are not breaking the law. But their relationships are not able to be legally recognised as having some standing. If that member had sat on the select committee and heard some of the stories that couples were telling about what had happened to them because their relationship had no standing she might have thought a bit differently. 
This idea that Government should set the moral standards for families and children is interesting because I think that that was the job of my parents. My parents did a very good job of instilling in me the values the parameters and the boundaries— 
Phil Heatley 
: That was a bad job! 
MOANA MACKEY 
: I thank Phil Heatley for that comment. I will report that to my mother; she will be very pleased to hear that you thought she did a bad job. 
Stephen Franks 
: Do not report my congratulations; she did a terrible job! 
MOANA MACKEY 
: I will tell her that too. It is always nice to hear from Mr Franks. But it was my parents’ role to set those moral standards; it was not the State’s role. When I was growing up my parents were quite adamant. They told me that homosexuality was not abnormal even though it was illegal under the law. We had many gay friends around when I was growing up and I have to say that at no point was I ever confused by their presence even though I was young. At no point did I ever think: “Oh goodness me look there’s someone who’s attracted to someone of the same sex. Maybe I am gay.” No that is absolutely ridiculous. 
I think it is stupid to stand here today and say that the State should be implementing morality for families when we know pure well that for example many United Future families come from a religious background. They pass that on to their children. They are good parents and I have absolutely no problem with that even though I may not agree with some of the viewpoints that they pass on. I would not stand in this Chamber and say that we should pass a law saying that maybe we should take churches out of human rights legislation and say that they are no longer allowed to discriminate against women and for example not allow women to hold office within a church. This is the role of communities the role of parents and the role of families. 
I have heard some people say that now we will have to teach people that civil unions are good and that marriage is not the only thing available. I do not think I ever recall being taught anything at a State school about marriage apart from being told in Bible studies that marriage was the cornerstone of the Christian church. That is fine. But otherwise I do not recall that. There were kids in my class who came from single-parent families and from de facto families. Not all the kids who I went to school with came from homes with two married parents. I do not ever remember anyone saying that those kids’ families were bad or good and I do not think that beyond this we will be saying to people that marriage is not right and that civil unions are right. Quite frankly I think it is just scaremongering. It is trying to make people feel all of a sudden that we will be going out there and as Mr Connell puts it recruiting homosexuals. I would like to— 
Brian Connell 
: I did not say that. 
MOANA MACKEY 
: Mr Connell laughs now. He says that he did not say that the Civil Union Bill is a recruitment drive for homosexuals. 
Brian Connell 
: I said that? 
MOANA MACKEY 
: That is right. 
Brian Connell 
: I did not say you were. 
MOANA MACKEY 
: That is interesting. 
Brian Connell 
: I said you guys were. 
MOANA MACKEY 
: Oh we were recruiting homosexuals? Well yes that is quite right! 
Stephen Franks 
: It’s a free qualification isn’t it? 
MOANA MACKEY 
: To be in the Labour Party? 
Stephen Franks 
: I don’t think you’ll get promoted any higher. 
MOANA MACKEY 
: Ha ha! Well coming back to the bill one of the things I wanted to touch on was the changing form of relationship in the bill and people saying they did not understand why it is here. There was a lot of discussion at the select committee as to whether we should have it. The officials raised with us the instance of a couple who are in a civil union and are moving overseas. They want continuity of their relationship and we should not be telling them that they have to separate and live apart for 2 years in order to be able to then marry and go overseas and have their relationship continue to be recognised overseas. There was a lot of discussion at the select committee about whether this should actually be part of the bill whether it was needed or whether it would just raise the ire of people. 
We felt that telling people who might have a legitimate reason for needing to transfer from a civil union to a marriage—because they are going to a country that does not recognise civil unions—to break up their family and live apart for 2 years just so they can get married at a later stage was slightly ridiculous and redundant. In reality people who have a civil union will stay in a civil union. People who get married will stay married. As we have now the majority of people marry and the majority of people will continue to marry and I doubt that this bill will make a lot of difference to that.