Saturday, 27 March, 2004

Dunne tells PC conference: UF to fight Civil Unions Bill

United Future leader Peter Dunne today used an Auckland conference on political correctness to launch the party's campaign to scuttle the Civil Unions Bill.

"This misguided piece of legislation is pure social engineering and the ultimate in political correctness," Mr Dunne told the Maxim Institute conference.

"And what's more, this Parliament has no mandate from New Zealanders - I repeat, no mandate - to push through a Bill that is an out and out attack on the values of mainstream New Zealand.

"Let's be honest here: this legislation is about one thing and one thing only - extending the rights and privileges of marriage to same-sex couples, without calling it marriage," Mr Dunne said.

New Zealanders are tolerant of alternative lifestyles, and willingly respect them as a private affair, he said.

"However, that does not mean they will accept the idea that the nature of marriage - an institution that also exists outside narrow legal definitions - should be altered in this way without their consent," he said.

Mr Dunne said United Future supported recognising the property rights of people in committed long term relationships, as the law currently does, and in resolving outstanding issues like next of kin status, or rights of inheritance for people in same-sex relationships.

"But we draw the line at creating a parallel form of marriage to achieve it," he said.

Perhaps the most telling aspect of this politically correct, "pink think" agenda is the message it sends to the country about national priorities, he said.

"Why are we putting gay marriages before making sure that there are enough police on our streets, before ensuring that the sick get quick and effective treatment at our hospitals, before unclogging our roads and before giving our kids the education they need to survive in an increasingly complex world?"

Ends.

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