[BRIEF NOTE] And in New Zealand ...

[rfmcdonald]

Antipodean correspondent Errol Cavit has informed me that New Zealand has recognized same-sex partnerships, though not (yet) same-sex marriages. From Reuters:

New Zealand has joined a slowly growing number of countries which have passed laws recognising civil unions between same-sex couples, but has stopped short of recognising homosexual marriages.

The New Zealand parliament voted 65-55 on Friday to pass the Civil Union Bill recognising same-sex partners after lawmakers were freed by their parties to vote with their consciences at the end of a long and contentious debate.

Same-sex couples cheered and applauded from the parliament's public gallery as the result of the vote was announced.

Hundreds more gathered outside New Zealand's unique bee-hive shaped parliament, with the crowds reflecting an issue which opinion polls show has divided New Zealanders almost equally.

New Zealanders may now enter civil unions and have their relationships formally recognised from April next year, but the New Zealand Marriage Act still only recognises marriages between men and women.

Of course, the local conspiracy theorists are quite active:

Religious groups and other opponents of the bill had called it an attack on marriage and an attempt at social engineering by Prime Minister Helen Clark's Labour government.

"This bill is really, very simply, a present to the coterie of homosexuals and lesbians who surround the Right Honourable Helen Clark," said Dail Jones, an opposition New Zealand First parliamentarian.

But then, it just wouldn't be fun without their contributions. Myself, I know that I'd love to have access to some of the GLBT-associated power that they fear: a Bay Street condo and a six-digit income would be nice, for starters.