The retiring MP who spearheaded the successful campaign to legally acknowledge same sex relationships in New Zealand, via the controversial Civil Unions legislation, has tonight thrown doubt on whether legal same-sex marriage will become available to glbt Kiwis any time soon, or ever.
Tim Barnett, who will not stand again for Parliament at the forthcoming general election, said this evening that glbt New Zealanders will "just have to wait and see if marriage is the next step" following Civil Unions. Earlier today, in an exclusive interview with GayNZ.com which will be published in the coming days, Barnett acknowledged that in 2004 the concept of Civil Unions was judged likely to be passed by Parliament, whereas same sex marriage was unlikely to find acceptance with the nation's lawmakers.
Barnett was first elected as an openly gay candidate for Christchurch Central in 1996. At a farewell function in Auckland tonight attended by eighty friends, Rainbow Labour supporters and Parliamentary associates he recalled the complex political manouvering backgrounding the passing of the Civil Unions and the Prostitution Law Reform Bills as two of the highlights of his time as an MP.
He said the much-publicised Destiny Church march on Parliament, featuring fist waving, black-shirted, chanting marchers railing against the Civil Unions Bill, was the moment he believed the tide turned in the public debate. And he recounted the high drama surrounding the gathering of votes for the Prostitution legalisation Bill which passed by the narrowest possible margin, just one vote.
Barnett, who received a standing ovation in acknowledgment of his work benefiting New Zealand's glbt citizens, said his broad aim in entering Parliament was to strengthen democracy by introducing previously alienated people into the political process. This work had included running workshops on how to make submissions to select committees and an early handbook for parliamentarians on how the introduction of the MMP voting system had changed the political process.
Barnett departs Parliament at the forthcoming general election and will undertake several months overseas travel with his partner of seven years, Ramon Maniapoto, before considering work in the human rights area, possibly overseas.
