Media Release 12 April 2013
In response to the ‘shot-gun’ passing of the bill redefining marriage this evening, National Director of Family First NZ and co-ordinator of the Protect Marriage campaign, Bob McCoskrie, says:
“In passing the ‘shot-gun’ same-sex marriage bill, Parliament has chosen to reject the obvious cultural and natural character of marriage and the subsequent creation and care of children, and made marriage just about partnership. In ramming through this bill in a shameful way without due consideration, and with no clear public mandate, politicians have committed an arrogant act of cultural vandalism.”
“The equality cause is not advanced by destroying institutions. Equality should respect difference, not destroy it. There was no discrimination in the law as it stood.”
“Ironically, marriage now has become meaningless. We will now be using the word to describe something else – not commonly or traditionally conceived, but conceived by politics and political correctness.”
“With the accompanying consequence of changes to adoption laws, politicians have also weakened the rights of the child in favour of pandering to the demands of adults. A child has a right to a mum and a dad. We should not set out in public policy to deny a child that basic right. This is not a sexuality issue. This is a gender issue. The gender of the parents does matter to a child.”
“We also note that Prime Minister John Key has effectively split the National party down the middle by strongly promoting this bill, and the party now has a crisis of unity as it gets confused over its identity and values. Traditional National supporters may be looking for a new ‘home’.”
ENDS
