Key says he will vote in favour of same sex marriage bill at first reading

Stuff reports:

Prime Minister John says he would give initial support to a proposed bill allowing gay marriage. 

Labour's caucus chair Louisa Wall said she was drafting a private members' bill which would define marriage and enable same couples to wed.

The bill, which has yet to be discussed by the wider Labour caucus, would have to be drawn from a ballot before it went before . …

Key this morning said he would vote for the bill's first reading if it was pulled from the ballot.

“Personally I'm not opposed. There will be a range of views of course. Let's have the debate.”

The bill may not get drawn for months or years, so the debate may not be immediate. But having seen nothing bad happen with civil unions (except allowing people in a stable relationship commit to each other and gain legal rights), I can't see too many getting worked up about same sex marriage.

UK Conservative Prime Minister David Cameron said last year:

The Prime Minister said “commitment” in relationships should be valued regardless of whether it involved “a man and a woman, a woman and a woman, or a man and another man”. …

Speaking to the Conservative Party Conference in , Mr Cameron said: “We're consulting on legalising gay marriage. To anyone who has reservations, I say: Yes, it's about equality, but it's also about something else: commitment.

“Conservatives believe in the ties that bind us; that society is stronger when we make vows to each other and support each other.

“So I don't support gay marriage despite being a Conservative. I support gay marriage because I'm a Conservative.”

Well said.

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