Manawatu Standard 13 March 2013
Rangitikei’s MP has decided to vote against the Marriage Equality Bill in Parliament tonight as he does not want to alter the definition of marriage.
Ian McKelvie supported Louisa Wall’s private members bill to give same-sex couples the right to marry at its first reading but would vote against it tonight.
The vote tonight was dealing ”with a pretty significant social issue” and his decision was not something he came to easily but he did not think it was the role of Parliament to change the definition of marriage.
Mr McKelvie if there was any inequality that existed from not allowing same-sex couples to marry than this should be addressed through widening the rights given to civil union couples.
”If there’s any inequality caused by that I’d attach it to the civil union side of things. That’s what I would be favouring.”
http://www.stuff.co.nz/manawatu-standard/news/8420772/Opposing-gay-marriage-difficult-decision-MP
