Subject: Latest News/FINLAND
From: Hannele Lehtikuusi <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 19 Feb 1996 21:59:14 +0200 (EET)

Latest News/ FINLAND
Hannele Lehtikuusi
Chairperson
National SETA

	GROUPS OF MINISTERS FROM THE CABINET PARTIES READY
		FOR A BILL ON THE SAME SEX MARRIAGES
 -Only the Ministers of the National Coalition Party without a common stand -

 The Minister Groups of the parties presently in the Finnish Cabinet have 
 expressed their views on a possible bill on the same sex marriages and 
 the timetable such a bill would require.
 
 The Minister Groups of the Social Democrats, the Left Alliance and 
 the Greens felt that such a bill should be enacted. The Swedish 
 National Party reminded of the positive stand taken at their Party 
 Assembly and also felt that the Nordic views on the matter should be 
 taken into consideration in Finland, too. The above mentioned groups 
 found that the bill should be prepared in the Ministry of Justice. 
 The National Coalition Party (Conservatives) were the only Minister 
 Group to state that no common stand could be expressed.
 
 SETA, the National Organization for Sexual Equality states that 
 the replies received were in line with a recent survey made in 
 the Parliament (Swedish News on the TV / weekly commentary OBS! 
 12 February 1996) where 95 MPs were for the bill and 66 against 
 with 36 not taking a stand. Three MPs had not been reached for 
 the survey.
 
 SETA feels that a Bill on the same sex marriage needs to be 
 submitted to the Parliament in the course of the year following 
 the customary legislative action. The laws in force in the 
 other Nordic Countries, the bill by MP Outi Ojala (Ms) during the 
 term of office of the former Parliament as well as the study on 
 same-sexed partnerships in the legislation by Mr Rainer Hiltunen, 
 Master of Law, create a clear foundation to prepare the bill. The 
 unwillingness of the present Minister of Justice Mr. Hakamies to 
 go into the juridical part of the issue must not hinder equal 
 treatment of citizens.

 Further information:
 
 Hannele Lehtikuusi              Rainer Hiltunen
 chairperson/SETA		 vice chairperson/SETA
 [email-masked]                 [email-masked]

............................................................

 APPENDIX: THE REPLIES OF THE MINISTER GROUPS
 
 SETA asked the Minister Groups the following questions:
 
 1. Does your Minister Group feel that a bill on same sex marriage 
    should be enacted?
 2. What would be the timetable that your Minister Group would 
    think that such a bill can be prepared and when could the 
    Cabinet submit the bill to the Parliament?

 THE REPLIES
 
 The Social Democrat Group of Ministers:
 1. The bill should be enacted.
 2. The bill should be prepared without delay.
 
 The Left Alliance
 1. Yes.
 2. We feel that such a bill should be prepared soon and the bill 
 should be enacted in the course of the year. As to the timetable, 
 the Minister of Justice has a crucial position. We are 
 ready to hasten the process in an appropriate manner.
 
 The Greens:
 1. Yes.
 2. Questions about the timetable, such as when this bill could be 
 submitted to the Parliament, should be addressed to the Ministry 
 of Justice. This is a matter to be prepared in the Ministry.
 
 The Swedish National Party:
 1. The Assembly of the Swedish National Party took a stand in 1994 
 that a Bill on the same sex marriage 
 should be enacted and that the Bill should be formulated in a 
 manner ensuring that no one can be discriminated due to one's 
 sexual orientation. This decision was made upon voting. As the 
 attitude towards the issue may depend on deeply personal views, 
 the decision was felt to have formed a consultative poll. The MPs 
 to take the final decision will - as always - have complete freedom 
 to consider the matter. The Minister Group of the Swedish National 
 Party also feels that the decisions made in Denmark, Norway and 
 Sweden should be borne in mind while taking a stand in 
 Finland.
 2. It is up to the Ministry of Justice to prepare the bill. We are 
 ready to process the Bill as soon as it will be taken up in the Cabinet.
 
 National Coalition Party:
 
 The reply to the question depends greatly on the value and moral 
 background of each person. In a matter of this kind the Group 
 of Ministers of the National Coalition Party feels 
 that a common view to be expressed by the group is not justified.