MP plans to marry at Parliament
It’ll be third time lucky when newly elected Labour MP Glen Bennett finally marries his partner in February, the day before his maiden speech.
While they’re yet to officially confirm the wedding venue, Bennett and school teacher Jon O’Neill are looking at exchanging vows in the Legislative Council Chamber of Parliament on the Monday of Waitangi weekend.
The following day the New Plymouth MP will deliver his maiden speech.
‘‘All of our people are going to come to my maiden speech so we thought why don’t we just do the wedding the day before in Wellington and make it a two-for-one deal,’’ he said.
‘‘We can have a celebration down there and potentially have a celebration back in Taranaki for those who don’t venture down.’’
Bennett said an invitation would be extended to the Labour caucus but conceded the chances of Jacinda Ardern attending were slight.
‘‘Waitangi is a busy time for the Prime Minister,’’ he said, before explaining in jest how the country’s leader had earlier dropped him in it with his mother, who had been yet to learn of Bennett’s plans to wed in Wellington.
‘‘I think she found out about it on the 6pm news rather than via her lovely son.’’
Bennett had filled the Prime Minister in on his wedding plans when she was in New Plymouth earlier in the month.
‘‘The media overheard our conversation and threw us in the deep end at a press conference, so I had to make some phone calls to some family members to fill them in.’’
It’ll be Bennett and O’Neill’s third attempt at jumping the broom after they were forced to can their April wedding due to lockdown.
A second bid, this time a secret ceremony with only two guests to serve as witnesses, was to be squeezed into the hours before the country was put into lockdown on March 25.
But the celebrant fell had to get a Covid-19 test.
‘‘We’re definitely excited,’’ Bennett said impending nuptials.
Saying ‘‘I do’’ at Parliament would be an extraordinary honour, he said.
Not only was it a rare opportunity and one only bestowed to a select few, but it was also the very place in which change was made to allow same-sex marriages in New Zealand.
‘‘That place is really significant. Now we’re able to enjoy the same rights as everyone else.’’
Bennett said he would reflect on this in his maiden speech and how he would use his platform as an MP to make a difference in equality. ill and
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