Same-sex marriage in New Zealand came another step closer last night after Parliament backed a bill to legalise it at the second reading.
MPs voted to support it by 77 votes to 44.
The bill's sponsor, Labour MP Louisa Wall, told Parliament and a near-full public gallery that the discussion of her bill had highlighted the discrimination felt by gay communities in New Zealand.
The legislation is likely to return to Parliament at the end of the month and could be passed as early as next month.
If it passed into law, there is a four-month stand-down period before same-sex and transgender marriages could take place.
