Congratulations to the team there…important initial step…
By Rose Troup Buchanan
3:24PM BST 29 Aug 2012
The vote on Wednesday took place in front of a full public gallery, and is the first vote of three New Zealand’s parliament must take, before the bill can become law.
The process typically takes several months, and allows the public to have their say. Only a simple majority vote is required to pass the second vote, and the strong majority during the first vote is an indication the motion will pass into law.
Polls show that around two-thirds of New Zealanders support gay marriage.
If the law passes, New Zealand will become the 12th country since 2001 to recognise same-sex marriages.
