INDEPENDENT NEWS

Don’t Meddle With Marriage Def’n Any More - Poll

Published: Mon 26 May 2014 09:55 AM
Don’t Meddle With Marriage Def’n Any More - Poll
A poll has found that there is overwhelming opposition to any further redefining of marriage to include arrangements such as polygamy and group marriage, and most people believe that parliament will be unlikely to further redefine marriage.
In the independent poll of 1,022 people undertaken by Curia Market Research, respondents were asked “Parliament recently passed a law to allow marriage between couples of the same sex. Some people argue that based on an argument of equality, marriages should also be allowed between more than two people. How likely do you think it will be that Parliament someday could pass a law to allow group marriage between three or four people?”
85% of respondents think it is unlikely Parliament will someday allow group marriage, with very little difference in response based on gender, age group, location or political party support.
Respondents were also asked “Do you personally think the law should allow three or more people to marry each other?”
Just 10% of respondents support group marriage being made legal with 81% rejecting the notion. Of concern was that 16% of under-30s support group marriage compared to 4% of over-60s. There was also stronger support from Green party supporters with one in four Green voters supporting group marriage.
“The poll is good news in that New Zealanders realise that marriage should not be meddled with any further. However we have been in a similar position with opposition to same-sex marriage,” says Bob McCoskrie, National Director of Family First NZ.
“A former Dutch MP Boris Dittrich who was behind the first same-sex marriage legislation in the world, and brought to NZ by supporters of the same-sex marriage bill to make a submission to the Select Committee, has admitted that group marriages of three or more people is the next step. He admitted the most effective wedge to bring the idea before the public was to “focus on the principles of equality and non-discrimination”.”
“If the definition of ‘marriage’ allows same-sex marriage, and only same-sex marriage, it could then be argued that we are discriminating against those seeking polygamous or group marriages – if all that matters is love and commitment. Why would discrimination against these loving adults be ok? They may be illegal now, but it wasn’t that long ago that same-sex marriage was illegal also, and we were told civil unions were sufficient and marriage wouldn’t be touched,” says Mr McCoskrie.
“Hopefully New Zealanders will maintain their principled stand and strongly oppose any further distorting of the meaning of marriage by politicians.”
The nationwide poll was carried out during April and has a margin of error of +/- 3.2%.
READ the full Poll Results
ENDS

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