Wednesday, April 17, 2013



The big day

Today is a Member's Day - and a big one, with two third readings. First up there is David Clark's Holidays (Full Recognition of Waitangi Day and ANZAC Day) Amendment Bill, which is expected to pass (against the government's wishes) at 18:00. Then there's the main event: marriage equality. The debate on that is expected to start after the dinner break, with the vote sometime around 21:30. The gallery is apparently fully booked for this historic moment, but there is now overflow space in the Great Hall. And if you can't be there in person, you can always watch online.

The big question isn't whether the bill will pass, but by how much - and which MPs will be on the wrong side of history. The fossils voting against this, who would deny the full equality of every human being regardless of sexual orientation, are on the same side as the racists, sexists, and slavery advocates of yesteryear. And they need to be driven from public office for it.