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Gay marriage legislation starts bumpy ride
(submitted by gekkogecko)
OTTAWA (CP) - The federal government's contentious gay
marriage bill has begun what's sure to be a very bumpy
ride through the House of Commons.
Justice Minister Irwin Cotler introduced the bill
Tuesday amid loud praise and withering criticism. The
NDP, the Bloc Quebecois and most Liberals support
same-sex marriage, which is already permitted in
several provinces. But most Conservatives and some
Liberals promise to oppose the bill in an effort to
protect the traditional definition of marriage.
Prime Minister Paul Martin defended the bill Tuesday,
trumpeting that "Canada is a country where minorities
are protected."
But he also recognized concerns about religious
rights, repeating that no church will be forced to
perform gay marriages.
"There is no compromise when it comes to freedom of
religion," Martin said.
Cotler said he knows that many Canadians are
"struggling" with this issue, but added the courts
have spoken and now it's up to Parliament to do what's
right.
"It was the people of Canada, including minorities and
gays and lesbians among them, who sought remedy and
redress from the courts in invoking the charter.
"I trust that this last stage of this constitutional
drama . . . will be conducted with respect for the
plurality of views and the plurality of perspectives."
NDP Leader Jack Layton said any member of his caucus
who votes against the same-sex marriage bill will face
unspecified consequences.
"If we oppose human rights for lesbians and gays,
there should be consequences in caucus and that will
be the case in our caucus," he said at a news
conference in Montreal to announce the hiring of
former leadership candidate Pierre Ducasse as an
advisor on Quebec.
The government wasted no time introducing the
hot-button issue - it comes on the second day of the
spring parliamentary session and in the face of
increasingly organized campaign from Canadian pulpits
to kill the bill.
Roman Catholic church groups have joined forces with
Muslim, Hindu, Sikh and Orthodox Jewish groups to
defeat the legislation. Their alliance represents the
strongest and best organized political effort by
Canadian religious institutions in decades.
Catholics were urged last weekend to write their MPs
on the issue.
Not all churches oppose the legislation. The United
Church of Canada stands solidly with the bill.
"Marriage will be enhanced, not diminished, religious
freedom will be protected, not threatened, and
Canadian society will be strengthened, not weakened,
as a result of this legislation," said Rev. Jim
Sinclair, general secretary of the United Church's
General Council.
In the last four years the issue has entangled
politicians, prelates and judges from across the
country, including the justices of the Supreme Court
of Canada.
Judges in several provinces and one territory cleared
the way for the bill with an unbroken string of
decisions saying same-sex marriage is legal.
Some politicians and church leaders remain unsure.
Some religious politicians, including Martin and
several members of his cabinet, have agonized over the
issue.
Martin, a Catholic, has told his cabinet ministers to
support the bill. Backbench MPs have been left free to
chose yea or nay. A number of Liberals say they will
vote nay.
NDP Leader Jack Layton ordered his members to support
the legislation, saying a human rights issue is no
place for a free vote. However, Manitoba New Democrat
Bev Desjarlais says she'll vote No anyway.
The Bloc is generally solid in its support for the
bill.
The Conservatives have supporters on both sides of the
issue, although leader Stephen Harper has urged
amendments to the bill to allow civil unions for
same-sex couples, while preserving the traditional
definition of marriage.
The Liberal legislation has been hanging fire since
the summer of 2003, when the government of then-prime
minister Jean Chretien sent it to the Supreme Court
for a review. The Martin government expanded the scope
of the reference a year ago.
The high court ruled in December that same sex
marriages are constitutional, following more than two
years of favourable lower court rulings that produced
hundreds of same-sex marriages across Canada.
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