Media Release 2 Dec 2016
Three years on from the definition of marriage being changed, statistics show that the demand has been insignificant, and has had to be boosted by overseas couples which represent almost half of all same-sex ‘marriages’ during this period.

There have been 58,540 traditional marriages of NZ residents during a three-year period since the law was changed 1. Same-sex marriages during that time for NZ’ers were 1,422 representing just over 2% of total marriages – despite claims of a huge demand for same-sex marriage.

During the same three-year period, there were 1,260 ‘tourist’ same-sex ceremonies (47% of total same-sex weddings in NZ) and 7,437 ‘tourist’ marriages (only 11% of total opposite-sex marriages.)

““Supporters of redefining marriage have had to rely on ‘marriage tourism’ to justify the change. The demand for same-sex marriage has been underwhelming. The time, energy and cost of political resources around redefining marriage simply weren’t warranted or legitimate. Politicians should be focusing on the real needs of homelessness, education standards, crime reduction, and health resources for all,” says Bob McCoskrie, National Director of Family First NZ.

“Marriage ‘equality’ was never about equality because there are people who are still not able to marry. The politicians simply inserted a lie into the law. However, there are now pushes for extending the definition of marriage to allow for polygamy and group marriage. Redefining marriage was about deconstructing and weakening the meaning and purpose of marriage from its role as a specific culturally and historically bound institution – as so aptly put by Greens co-leader Metiria Turei.”

“In 2004, the government introduced Civil Unions and changed over 150 pieces of legislation to provide legal recognition and protection for other forms of relationships. The State should not have presumed to re-engineer a natural human institution,” says Mr McCoskrie.
ENDS

1. Period covers full 12-month period 1 October – 30 Sep over three years (based on Statistics NZ Quarterly periods.) For comparison purposes, the figures do not include the first same-sex (or opposite-sex marriages) between 19 August 2013 and 30 September 2013.