Parliament is presently debating the Property Relationships Bill and will shortly send it to a Select Committee for
further consideration.
Earlier this year the government pushed through a motion enabling a large number of amendments to be made to the bill
without referral to the Select Committee.
It had been the intention of the Government to pass the bill - proposed by Attorney General Margaret Wilsoin - through
all stages without any further select committee consideration.
A decision changing the government's plans in this regard was announced last week.
The bill will place defacto and marriage relationships on an equal footing in terms of property rights. It will also
grant the same rights to same sex couples.