Donnelly Brian: Relationships (Statutory References) Bill — In Committee 
Donnelly Brian: Relationships (Statutory References) Bill — In Committee 
[Volume:624;Page:19126] 
Hon BRIAN DONNELLY (NZ First) 
: 
 The most remarkable thing about the speech we have just heard with its expression of repugnance towards this legislation is that the member who made it is a member of the United Future party which supports this Government and keeps it in office. It is quite amazing that such repugnance can be ignored when it comes to things like confidence and supply. However members will know that I actually voted for the Civil Union Bill and I am pleased that I did. I believe that it was the right thing to do. I believe that in a nation where we allow certain forms of relationships to be legal then we should also allow those relationships to be recognised in some sort of civil form. I believe that that was in the best interests of the country and that in future we will see that it will not have had any negative impact upon the institution of marriage whatsoever. 
I also supported this particular legislation going to the Justice and Electoral Committee. The Government has talked all the way through about level playing fields. The law as it stood in fact was not a level playing field; it was discriminatory against those in heterosexual relationships. When it came to benefits those in heterosexual relationships were treated as a couple and got less than they would have if they were treated as two individuals. Therefore I saw that this legislation would create a fairer situation. For those people who wish to enter civil unions it will. There may be a price to pay for that for some of those people in the sense that they will have reduced benefits—unemployment benefits sickness benefits and superannuation—because they will be treated as couples rather than as two individuals. 
But here is the rub: the discrimination was to be fixed up in this legislation. It has not been fixed up because the Government has run away from doing so because of the rainbow vote. De facto homosexual couples are to be privileged under this legislation. They will no longer be treated in the same way as heterosexual de facto couples. Heterosexual de facto couples in fact are being discriminated against by this legislation. This Government has said that it would create a level playing field. It said that we should not have any discrimination on the basis of sexual preference. Yet this legislation is in fact doing just that. Those who are in de facto homosexual relationships will not be treated in the same way as those in any other form of relationship. 
I had no difficulty with the notion of having a 2-year period before those sorts of provisions were laid on people. People should have had the time to get their affairs in order. But what this Government has done is to run away from its own principles. It has run away from the set of ideals that it has stated in this Chamber time and time again. It has run away from that set of ideals because when certain members of the rainbow community realised that this legislation would hit them in the pocket they became angry and the Government put its principles off the agenda because of the pending election. That is wrong. That shows an unprincipled Government. As a result I have had to change and reverse my vote. As I said in all honesty I could not vote for this legislation under the circumstances. However I would have voted for it if the Government had fronted up to do the very things it has said it would do. I remember the Hon Chris Carter during the debate on the property relationships Act saying that that was the price people of his sexual persuasion would have to pay.Unfortunately they will not have to pay that price because the Government has run away from its clear responsibility to the principles that it has continued to espouse about fairness regardless of sexual preference. 
This legislation discriminates against heterosexuals who do not wish to enter into either civil unions or marriages but who want to have longstanding relationships in a way that it does not discriminate against homosexuals. I hope that people will understand why my vote has changed as a result of the decisions that were made by the select committee.