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New Zealand To Debate Civil Unions for Homosexuals

WELLINGTON, July 17, 2003 (LifeSiteNews.com) - New Zealand's Parliament will debate legislation to create civil unions for homosexuals, including all legal rights of married couples without legal marriage. The Labour-led coalition, led by Prime Minister Helen Clark, will bring forward a Civil Union bill that would require same-sex as well as opposite-sex partners only to fill out forms and pay a fee, and they could dissolve the union after two years of separation.

Failing to create a civil union option would leave New Zealand "very vulnerable" to human rights complaints on grounds that current laws discriminate against homosexuals, said Tim Barnett, a Labour Party M.P. and a proponent of the legislation.

For local coverage:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/storydisplay.cfm?storyID=3512893&thesection=news&thesu...

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