Editorial: No need for gay gimmick

State of Origin, gay marriages and the David Bain case. They're all topics of hot discussion where most would sit clearly on a particular side.

They're also all in the news this week.

Firstly, the State of Origin - why we care so much about an Australian game beats me, but I usually find myself sitting in front of the box late on a Wednesday night cheering on the blue team and reading with amusement the many posts on Facebook from die-hard fans.

Given Queensland won this week, that's where we'll leave this topic.

Today we report on news that entries are flooding in for a radio competition that will see Rotorua's historic Bath House become the scene of New Zealand's first gay marriage.

The Edge is seeking two gay couples - one male and one female - who will be married at the Bath House on air at 7.45am on Monday, August 19, the first day gay couples can legally wed in New Zealand.

I don't think our local MP, Todd McClay, who voted against the change, will be on the invite list and, given the outrage among some sectors about gay marriages, there's bound to be some ratepayers who aren't thrilled about the council-owned building being used in this way.

I personally have nothing against same-sex weddings as I think there should be one law for all, but I'm unsure about the need to turn it into a radio gimmick.

And finally, the David Bain case. For those who watched 3rd Degree on TV3 on Wednesday night, you might now be in the "David Bain is innocent" camp.

The fresh evidence revealed on the show indicates David's father, Robin Bain, was the person who loaded the .22 rifle that was used to kill four members of his family.

Two black parallel marks on Robin Bain's thumb seen in photographic evidence match marks you get on your thumb when you load such a rifle.

Even if you're still not convinced David Bain is innocent, the fresh evidence (picked up by chance by a Waikato businessman) hasn't been tested in the courts, reiterating the fact Dunedin police have made a complete balls-up of the investigation.