Thursday last week was a day of jubilation and humiliation for New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark but for enlightened Kiwis, gays and human rights activists, it was a day of historic significance, writes CHARLES CHAN.
FIRST, MPs in Parliament listened to their conscience instead of their church leaders to vote the Civil Union Bill into law, paving the way for heterosexuals and gays to solemnise their de facto relationships with all the rights and protection currently accorded to straight married couples.