Downplaying equality

The government is downplaying yesterday's comments by Chris Carter that the government was looking at introducing legislation on gay adoption. Officials are indeed looking at the question, but

[Mark Burton] and Prime Minister Helen Clark's office were at pains to point out that gay adoption was not a specific term of reference for officials' work, nor was introducing legislation on the Government's agenda.

(Emphasis added)

I guess they're simply too afraid of Destiny Church (and Peter Dunne) to stand up for what they believe in...