Copeland Gordon: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Copeland Gordon: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:622;Page:17220] 
7.  
GORDON COPELAND (United Future) 
 to the  
Associate Minister of Justice 
: Does he stand by his statement in last Thursday’s press release that the Civil Union Bill offers “greater protection to couples in committed relationships”; if so how does the bill achieve this? 
Hon DAVID BENSON-POPE (Associate Minister of Justice) 
: 
 I most certainly do stand by that comment. There are many situations in society where people are treated differently because they find it difficult to prove that they are in a relationship. Many people in long-term relationships have been discriminated against because their relationship has been treated as merely a friendship and not as family. Clearly that can have negative consequences for those people particularly in times of crisis or sorrow. The mere fact of being in a civil union will provide social and legal recognition of a relationship and therefore provide those couples and the community with certainty over the status of that relationship. 
Gordon Copeland 
: How does the Civil Union Bill protect the status of one partner in the event of the sudden death of the other as the Minister claimed last week when in fact that protection arises only from the Relationships (Statutory References) Bill and then only when that separate bill becomes law? 
Hon DAVID BENSON-POPE 
: Where rights are provided for in legislation those provisions will of course be extended as the questioner refers to by the Relationships (Statutory References) Bill. Sometimes though rights are not set out in legislation but are in practice a matter of policy. A good example would be hospital visitation rights. Legal recognition of civil unions and civil union partners will provide a clear message that the relationship is a family relationship and that they are next of kin. I am confident that couples in a civil union will not have to face the absurd situation of being denied access to or the right to make decisions on behalf of a long-term partner in an emergency or in the event of his or her death. 
Lianne Dalziel 
: What advantage does the Civil Union Bill provide over and above that which will apply to de facto couples under the Relationships (Statutory References) Bill? 
Hon DAVID BENSON-POPE 
: Entering a civil union will provide certainty of the status of a couple. The process of solemnising a civil union in front of family and friends will provide social and legal recognition of such a relationship. The certificate of civil union registered under the Births Deaths and Marriages Registration Act will provide formal evidence of the nature and duration of that relationship. 
Nandor Tanczos 
: Does the Minister agree that if this Parliament fails to pass the bill it would mean that the law states that same-sex couples may shag but they may not formally commit to a long-term relationship— 
Mr SPEAKER 
: I do not usually interrupt questions but I do like felicity of expression which that clearly was not. I suggest that the member reword his question. 
Nandor Tanczos 
: Does the Minister agree that should this Parliament fail to pass the Civil Union Bill it would mean that under the law same-sex couples may have sex on a short-term basis but may not formally commit to a long-term relationship and does he think that the real agenda of the Destiny Church – led opposition is to see gays locked up in jail once again? 
Mr SPEAKER 
: The Minister has no responsibility for the second part of that question. He may answer the first part. 
Hon DAVID BENSON-POPE 
: I certainly agree that the passage of the Civil Union Bill removes a form of discrimination that has no place in the inclusive tolerant and open-minded society that I believe New Zealand is. 
Gordon Copeland 
: Does he concede that he was wrong in asserting that United Future is the only party not voting on the Civil Union Bill as a conscience issue; if so will he apologise to us this House and the public for misrepresenting our position? 
Hon DAVID BENSON-POPE 
: I am delighted to accept the member’s assurance that United Future is voting on this matter as a conscience issue. 
Gordon Copeland 
: Does he support a referendum on the Civil Union Bill in the light of the overwhelming opposition of submitters to the select committee or does he think that the New Zealand public will be happy to leave it to MPs who may be arm-twisted by their parties to vote for the legislation because it appeared in their election manifestos? 
Hon DAVID BENSON-POPE 
: No I do not. I believe that the Government has a legal responsibility to remove discrimination. I believe that that responsibility flows from legislation passed in 1993 by the then Government. It is not for me or the Government a question of negotiation over whether people are entitled not to be discriminated against.