Turei Metiria: Marriage (Gender Clarification) Amendment Bill — First Reading 
Turei Metiria: Marriage (Gender Clarification) Amendment Bill — First Reading 
[Volume:628;Page:670] 
METIRIA TUREI (Green) 
: 
 The Green Party is opposed to this bill and we will vote against it as a party. Our party policy requires us to support the extension of all legal partnership arrangements and rights to same-sex couples as are afforded heterosexual couples. That includes not just eligibility in relation to parenting for example but also to marriage. We are very proud to stand here as a party and say that we support the elimination of discrimination in this country and we will not support legislation to impose even more discrimination than we already have. 
This legislation is entirely unnecessary as my colleagues have expressed so far and I certainly hope that at some point a man will stand up and defend same-sex couples in some form because at this point only women have made any sense whatsoever in this House. Most important this legislation is utterly discriminatory whether or not we consider it unnecessary and even the Attorney-General has said that the bill is inconsistent with the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act and is an unjustified breach of the freedom from discrimination afforded to all New Zealand citizens. 
Sadly but probably not surprisingly I received today a piece of paper entitled: “Urgent Appeal to all MPs” distributed by members of the Brethren. In fact it is a flyer that sets out a whole lot of religious reasons why we should be legislating for discrimination in this country. I know that many Christians in New Zealand would be appalled to see this information being distributed to MPs. It is worthwhile noting that four members of the Brethren who are listed on this pamphlet—Andrew Simmons Phil Win Tim Lough and Doug Watt—were members of the “secret seven” who produced a pamphlet attacking the Green Party before the election. They were four members of the “secret seven” who sent out a pamphlet containing lies and half-truths about Green Party policy. They distributed it around the country and hid their culpability and responsibility until they were finally exposed to the country by the Green Party. How disgraceful that United Future is promoting legislation to discriminate against New Zealanders on the back of this kind of support! It is very very shameful indeed. 
This bill is obviously a clear example of an expression of malice and prejudice against gay lesbian transgender and transsexual people. Without a doubt it is malice and prejudice. The bill extends beyond just asking that there be no valid legal recognition of marriage. By using the word “recognition” in the legislation it undermines all forms of recognition of the validity of same-sex relationships in the nature of marriage in all sorts of areas other than legal marriage. For example in respect of income support and in respect of wills it would mean that same-sex couples would not be entitled to the same recognition that other couples have. That means for example that if someone’s will described his or her partner using the terms of marriage say “husband” or “wife” that person would not be able to obtain the benefits of that will because this bill would stop that person from doing so. So this bill goes way beyond just legal recognition of marriage in lawful terms but right into other areas where this country by its legislation and policy has indicated it will not support that discrimination. 
The bill legally broadens the discrimination against same-sex couples. The Greens will have no part of a bill that legislates for discrimination and hate in this country against a vulnerable and valuable sector of our community that deserves this Parliament’s protection not its prejudice.