Italian mayor introduces waste disposal tax cuts, but not for gay couples

An Italian mayor has proposed tax privileges for married couples, but only if they are straight.

Luigi Carozzi, the Northern League mayor of Pontida, northern Italy, said his council had cut waste disposal tax, introducing exceptions.

"The council of Pontida has cut waste disposal tax (Tari), introducing new exempt categories," he said, according to La Repubblica. "Also this time, however, there are exceptions, such as civil unions between people of the same sex."

Straight couples who had a civil union and those who got married with a religious rite not recognised by the state will also be unable to enjoy the tax privileges.

Matteo Salvini, leader of the Northern League party, slammed the mayor for his decision. "It is not fair, all couples are couples," he said.

Emanuele Fiano, from the ruling Democratic Party, also criticised the move.

"The Northern League heads back towards the Middle Ages in Pontida, the mayor tries again: Tax cuts on waste disposal, but not for gay couples," he wrote on Twitter.

The move just came weeks after Carozzi sparked criticism for proposing parking permits for pregnant women and young mothers, but only if they were married, straight and from the European Union.

At the time, his proposal sparked widespread criticism, forcing the mayor to make a U-turn on his decision, which was - again - condemned by Salvini.