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Dissident Liberals say they won’t try to topple government over gay marriage
BRUCE CHEADLE
OTTAWA (CP) - Liberal opponents of gay marriage are pushing for changes to proposed same-sex legislation but say there’s no way they’ll topple the minority government over the issue.
Prime Minister Paul Martin met with more than a dozen MPs on Monday evening to discuss the controversial bill after one Liberal quit in protest to sit as an Independent.
Pat O’Brien’s defection - coupled with suggestions that he and other Liberals might vote against the government on a budget confidence motion - threw a scare into Martin’s fragile minority.
O’Brien alone could conceivably bring down the government on next week’s budget vote, given the razor-thin coalition of Liberal and New Democrat MPs who are keeping it afloat. And that would prevent the government from passing Bill C-38, which would recognize same-sex marriages across Canada.
The threat provides new leverage to Liberal backbenchers who want more airtight protections for religious institutions and charitable groups built into the bill.
Among proposed amendments, opponents want stronger guarantees that:
-Churches do not have to marry same-sex couples.
-Justices of the peace will not be forced to perform civil marriages against their religious principles.
-Faith-based schools and charities will not be punished for denouncing gay marriage.
“We have indicated we are open to consideration of amendments if they are consistent with the principles of the bill,” Justice Minister Irwin Cotler said Tuesday, adding there was no agreement on what any changes might be.
Cotler said the government still expects the bill to pass before the summer recess.
Even some of the fiercest opponents of the legislation said Tuesday they won’t defeat the government on the budget bill as a means of stopping same-sex marriage.
“How does this advance the issue?” asked Liberal Paul Szabo, who used Monday evening’s meeting to again press Martin and Cotler to amend the legislation.
“Quite frankly, everybody I’ve ever talked to and participated in a meeting with basically saw this as quite bizarre and not helpful.”
As for same-sex inspired votes against the budget, Szabo stated emphatically he is “betting there’s zero - including Pat O’Brien.”
Other Liberal backbenchers concurred.
“I do not believe it’s really an issue out there among the people who have very strong feelings (against the legislation),” said Toronto Liberal Alan Tonks.
O’Brien quit over what he says is a “farcical” committee examination of Bill C-38 designed to rush the act into law before the summer recess.
Martin and Cotler met with same-sex opponents to address procedural concerns and hash out potential amendments. But there wasn’t even consensus among opponents that the legislation should be delayed until fall.
“It was a very open discussion on process . . . the pros and cons of dealing with the legislation early as opposed to later,” said Tonks.
The debate comes down to an electoral calculation, even for MPs firmly opposed.
Same-sex legislation is assured of passing, given its solid majority support in the Commons and the reality on the ground in the country, where more than 3,000 same-sex couples have legally tied the knot.
Many MPs are arguing it’s better to get it dealt with now - as far from the next election as possible - to give voters time to forget about the issue.
Combine that logic with the leverage Liberal same-sex opponents can exert now to force amendments, and some see a real opportunity to improve the inevitable law and get it passed before the summer recess.
“It’s not a good thing to ram things through,” said Szabo. “But if there’s some co-operation and collaboration along the way here, I think it’s entirely possible the process could complete itself in the normal course like any other bill before we rise.”
Source : macleans.ca/topstories/politics/news/shownews.jsp?content=n0607113A
BRUCE CHEADLE
OTTAWA (CP) - Liberal opponents of gay marriage are pushing for changes to proposed same-sex legislation but say there’s no way they’ll topple the minority government over the issue.
Prime Minister Paul Martin met with more than a dozen MPs on Monday evening to discuss the controversial bill after one Liberal quit in protest to sit as an Independent.
Pat O’Brien’s defection - coupled with suggestions that he and other Liberals might vote against the government on a budget confidence motion - threw a scare into Martin’s fragile minority.
O’Brien alone could conceivably bring down the government on next week’s budget vote, given the razor-thin coalition of Liberal and New Democrat MPs who are keeping it afloat. And that would prevent the government from passing Bill C-38, which would recognize same-sex marriages across Canada.
The threat provides new leverage to Liberal backbenchers who want more airtight protections for religious institutions and charitable groups built into the bill.
Among proposed amendments, opponents want stronger guarantees that:
-Churches do not have to marry same-sex couples.
-Justices of the peace will not be forced to perform civil marriages against their religious principles.
-Faith-based schools and charities will not be punished for denouncing gay marriage.
“We have indicated we are open to consideration of amendments if they are consistent with the principles of the bill,” Justice Minister Irwin Cotler said Tuesday, adding there was no agreement on what any changes might be.
Cotler said the government still expects the bill to pass before the summer recess.
Even some of the fiercest opponents of the legislation said Tuesday they won’t defeat the government on the budget bill as a means of stopping same-sex marriage.
“How does this advance the issue?” asked Liberal Paul Szabo, who used Monday evening’s meeting to again press Martin and Cotler to amend the legislation.
“Quite frankly, everybody I’ve ever talked to and participated in a meeting with basically saw this as quite bizarre and not helpful.”
As for same-sex inspired votes against the budget, Szabo stated emphatically he is “betting there’s zero - including Pat O’Brien.”
Other Liberal backbenchers concurred.
“I do not believe it’s really an issue out there among the people who have very strong feelings (against the legislation),” said Toronto Liberal Alan Tonks.
O’Brien quit over what he says is a “farcical” committee examination of Bill C-38 designed to rush the act into law before the summer recess.
Martin and Cotler met with same-sex opponents to address procedural concerns and hash out potential amendments. But there wasn’t even consensus among opponents that the legislation should be delayed until fall.
“It was a very open discussion on process . . . the pros and cons of dealing with the legislation early as opposed to later,” said Tonks.
The debate comes down to an electoral calculation, even for MPs firmly opposed.
Same-sex legislation is assured of passing, given its solid majority support in the Commons and the reality on the ground in the country, where more than 3,000 same-sex couples have legally tied the knot.
Many MPs are arguing it’s better to get it dealt with now - as far from the next election as possible - to give voters time to forget about the issue.
Combine that logic with the leverage Liberal same-sex opponents can exert now to force amendments, and some see a real opportunity to improve the inevitable law and get it passed before the summer recess.
“It’s not a good thing to ram things through,” said Szabo. “But if there’s some co-operation and collaboration along the way here, I think it’s entirely possible the process could complete itself in the normal course like any other bill before we rise.”
Source : macleans.ca/topstories/politics/news/shownews.jsp?content=n0607113A