26 February 2006
By EMMA PAGE and JENNIFER DANN
http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,3585006a11,00.html
Marriage celebrants are opting out of conducting civil unions because barely one couple a day has elected to have the alternative ceremony since its introduction almost a year ago.
Only 362 couples have chosen civil unions, compared with 15,683 marriages, since the Civil Union Act – which allows same-sex and heterosexual couples to gain legal standing on a par with marriage – became law last April.
Only 62 heterosexual, 145 gay and 153 lesbian couples have had civil unions.
Internal Affairs figures show the majority of civil unions are occurring in the main cities but the ceremony’s popularity in places like Taupo – where two civil unions have taken place – is limited.
Most celebrants contacted by the Sunday Star-Times last week had yet to receive an inquiry about civil unions, let alone conduct a ceremony.
"It’s quite interesting, after all the predictions we’d be inundated with a flood of gay marriages," said one.
More than 600 marriage celebrants signed up to officiate at civil unions after Internal Affairs officials sent out a letter asking if they would be interested in dual registration.
Porirua celebrant Victoria Wilks said quite a few of her colleagues would not bother to re-apply this year because there had been so little interest.
Wellington celebrant and security consultant Trevor Morley said: "The government’s desire to be politically correct has created a lot of unnecessary beauracracy.
"A hell of a lot of time, effort and money has been spent establishing civil celebrants. All for an extremely small minority. Clearly that minority had a voice far in excess of its numbers."
The 62-year-old former policeman had renewed his certificate this year because it didn’t cost him anything and he still hoped to conduct a civil ceremony.
Labour MP Georgina Beyer said the number of people choosing civil unions was encouraging, and there was no need to compare numbers with marriage.
"Marriage has had a couple of centuries – if not thousands of years – to establish itself," she said. "It’s not a race, it’s about human relationships."
Victoria University sociology senior lecturer Dr Allison Kirkman said one reason for the low turnout could be that couples were still waiting and planning. Another possibility was that they saw the availability of civil union as symbolically important rather than wanting to do it themselves.
Other groups might feel that civil union was not for them because it was not equal to marriage.
Civil unions have proved more stable than marriage in the short-term statistics. There have been no applications for the dissolution of civil unions. Two couples have switched from marriage to civil unions.
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