NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / New Zealand

Same-sex law vote - Peters' new plan

Isaac Davison
By Isaac Davison
Senior Reporter·NZ Herald·
31 Jul, 2012 05:30 PM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

A bill to legalise same-sex marriage is close to having the numbers to pass its first stage. File photo / Mark Mitchell

A bill to legalise same-sex marriage is close to having the numbers to pass its first stage. File photo / Mark Mitchell

A bill to legalise same-sex marriage is close to having the numbers to pass its first stage, despite an attempt by New Zealand First to derail it.

A Herald poll of all 121 MPs found 54 of them intend to vote for Labour Party MP Louisa Wall's private member's bill, which would redefine marriage as a union of two people, "regardless of their sex, sexual orientation or gender identity".

It was expected to be decided by a conscience vote, and needs 61 votes to pass.

But many MPs have refused to take a side on the contentious debate, and the final vote could be close.

New Zealand First yesterday complicated the process, with leader Winston Peters suggesting the party might abstain from the first vote - expected to take place in late August.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Mr Peters called for a referendum to be held on same-sex marriage.

"Serious issues like this should be decided by the public of this country, and not a few temporary, empowered politicians."

He would not give a direct answer when asked whether New Zealand First MPs would choose to abstain.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

If the party did opt out, the bill would need only 57 votes to pass.

The Herald poll showed this number was well within reach.

But if New Zealand First did vote, its members are likely to oppose it.

One of the party's MPs, Richard Prosser, has previously said he would vote against it, and two others, Mr Peters and Barbara Stewart, voted against civil unions in 2004.

Discover more

Opinion

Should gay marriage be legalised in NZ?

26 Jul 03:26 AM
New Zealand

Gay marriage opponents gear up to fight Wall's bill

27 Jul 05:30 PM
Entertainment

David Farrier in same-sex relationship

28 Jul 05:30 PM
New Zealand

Anti-gay marriage website crashes after launch

30 Jul 12:50 AM

Five other MPs - National MPs Chester Borrows, Phil Heatley, Colin King, Eric Roy and Mike Sabin - say they would oppose a law change.

Mr Borrows said he had "faith-based reasons" for opposing the bill.

Mr King said: "What my wife and I have enjoyed over 42 years, I don't think anybody else of the same sex could enjoy."

All MPs from the Green Party, the Maori Party, Mana, United Future and most Labour MPs said they supported the bill at least at the first reading.

Eight National MPs, including Prime Minister John Key and Cabinet ministers Paula Bennett and Hekia Parata, have also backed the bill.

But because some Labour MPs were likely to vote against it - Clayton Cosgrove, Damien O'Connor and Ross Robertson did not vote for civil unions - a few more National votes would probably be needed to push the bill into the committee stage.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Thirty-seven National MPs have not made their mind up on the bill.

Most of them said they had not read it, or were seeking responses from their constituents.

National MP Shane Ardern said he was opposed only to churches being required to act against their beliefs - something Ms Wall has said would not happen.

"But if it's just a case of giving some kind of legal status that they don't already have, then I wouldn't oppose that," Mr Ardern said.

THE NUMBERS

Are you for or against Louisa Wall's bill?

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

* 52 - For
* 13 - Against
* 2 - Undecided / maybe for
* 2 - Undecided / maybe against
* 44 - Undecided
* 8 - No reply / no comment.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from New Zealand

New Zealand

Father's claim: Son's second killing could have been prevented

06 Jul 09:50 PM
New Zealand

Court backs sacking of Northland doctor who sent 'flirty texts' to junior

06 Jul 09:13 PM
New Zealand

Who is Miss Universe New Zealand 2025?

From early mornings to easy living

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from New Zealand

Father's claim: Son's second killing could have been prevented

Father's claim: Son's second killing could have been prevented

06 Jul 09:50 PM

The man was subject to a compulsory treatment order at the time.

Court backs sacking of Northland doctor who sent 'flirty texts' to junior

Court backs sacking of Northland doctor who sent 'flirty texts' to junior

06 Jul 09:13 PM
Who is Miss Universe New Zealand 2025?

Who is Miss Universe New Zealand 2025?

NZ Herald comments: The stories open for discussion today

NZ Herald comments: The stories open for discussion today

06 Jul 09:05 PM
Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP