Government has power to act on adoption now

The Government has the power to take action to address discrimination in adoption laws now and does not need to wait for another MP to try and push through a Member’s Bill, says Labour MP Jacinda Ardern.

“It’s great to see other political parties coming on board and considering the amendment of adoption laws. I currently have a Care of Children Law Reform Bill in the ballot which would address a wide range of concerns about the outdated Adoption Act.

“I urge the Government to pick this legislation up and to progress it as soon as possible. But this looks unlikely given that when I tried to table the Bill in Parliament last year, I was denied leave to do so by National.

“My Bill essentially ensures that the work that the Law Commission has done, including its existing and new recommendations, are enshrined in legislation. This would resolve the discrimination in the 50-year-old Adoption Act and would deal with other incredibly important issues, including the fact that whangaai adoption is essentially excluded by the current law.

“Just changing the Adoption Act to ensure that couples in a civil union can adopt won’t necessarily make it an appealing option given that the law will still, in effect, sever all legal relationships with biological parents.

“It does not meet modern day family arrangements or relationships, which is why reform in this area must be comprehensive.

“We don't need to wait for the luck of the draw- the government can, and should act now,” said Jacinda Ardern.