Thanks NZ: SA Labor
Social Inclusion minister Ian Hunter has welcomed moves by the South Australian Labor Party to formally congratulate New Zealand for passing its same-sex marriage laws last month.
SA Labor politicians, MLA Steph Key and MLC Gerry Kandelaars, have said they will move motions in both houses of Parliament this year to welcome the new laws.
Last month New Zealand’s Parliament passed a bill to legalise same-sex marriage, 77 votes to 44.
The motion will note the cross party co-operation in passing the bill and recognise it as the 13th country to allow marriage equality.
Hunter said the motion would allow Liberal MPs who support marriage equality but who didn’t believe the state had the constitutional power to legislate for it, to express their personal support for it without actually voting to change the state law.
SA Rainbow Labor co-convenors Thomas Mooney and Jess Cronin said both state politicians had been vocal marriage equality supporters.
