Canada May Delay Parliament Break to Force Through Same-Sex 'Marriage' -- 06/22/2005
Canada May Delay Parliament Break to Force Through Same-Sex 'Marriage'
By Howard Williams
CNSNews.com Correspondent
June 22, 2005
Ottawa (CNSNews.com) - Canada's parliament may indefinitely delay in its lengthy summer break so the Liberal government can push through a controversial law giving same-sex couples the same rights to civil marriage as heterosexuals.
Parliament was scheduled to begin its summer break on Thursday, but the Liberal leader in the House of Commons, Tony Valeri, has introduced a motion to extend the sitting indefinitely until two controversial bills are passed.
The first bill relates to a supplementary budget to plow more money into social services and Third World development aid; the second is the same-sex marriage bill.
But without a majority in the House, the Liberal government needs -- and has been promised -- the support of the left-wing New Democrats plus a couple of independents to get the budget bill passed.
On Tuesday night, the government had a narrow majority for the second reading of the budget bill. It appeared assured of the same majority with the final vote on the bill, probably on Thursday.
If it fails to win that vote, the government will be forced to resign and the same-sex marriage bill would then automatically collapse.
If the budget vote is passed, however, the government intends to move quickly with the marriage legislation, even though it is not considered a confidence issue -- in other words, the government will not resign if the bill fails to win a majority.
But the same-sex marriage bill is likely to sail through, despite filibustering by the opposition Conservative Party. The Liberals have been assured of the support both of the New Democrats and the regional, leftist Bloc Quebecois.
In an effort to appease some opponents, the government has agreed to reinforce the legal rights of religious groups to refuse to conduct religious weddings which run counter to their beliefs.
Prime Minister Paul Martin has spearheaded the campaign to legalize same-sex unions after courts in eight of Canada's 13 provincial and territorial jurisdictions ruled that the current ban on same-sex marriages violated Canadian human rights legislation.
Martin, who voted against a similar attempt to legalize same-sex marriages when his party was in opposition, argues that the court rulings have forced the government's hands.
Currently same-sex couples in the eight provinces and territories may marry, while those in the other five jurisdictions may not.
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Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin
Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin's Liberal government is planning on passing the same-sex marriage bill, Bill C-38, before the spring session winds up. The gay-marriage bill is being linked with the passage of a $4.6 million budget bill that provides more money directed at social services and foreign aid. The two bills will be the final confidence vote until the fall.

The opposition, the Conservative party, has vowed to do everything it can to defeat the Liberal government unless they pull the vote and wait until fall.  Liberal House leader Tony Valeri tabled a notion early Tuesday to extend the spring sitting, delaying the scheduled summer break.  The Liberal party is facing resistance from several of its backbenchers, some of who believe the marriage bill should be delayed until the fall.

At least three Liberal MPs have indicated that they might vote against the gay marriage bill along with the Conservatives and the Bloc Québécois. If the motion were defeated, the government would be forced to resign.