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| Same
Sex Marriage: Who Decides
February 20 & June 12, 2003 |
| The
federal government has been scrambling ever since the Ontario court of
appeal's controversial decision to legalize same sex marriage. Scrambling
because the decision takes effect immediately and forces them to respond
with an appeal or rewrite law. But parliament has not been absent from
the debate. Over the last year a justice committee travelled across the
country to find out what Canadians think. But was it a meaningless exercise
of democracy? And will their report have any weight given the mounting
court decisions supporting legalizing same sex marriage.
Lorna Dueck went to Ottawa at the height of these hearing to listen in
on their debate and brought back this report.
Although the Ontario court of appeal has made its decision on same sex marriage parliament hasn't. The justice committee report is expected any week now and the outcome of this debate could be soon. Still it's not too late to make your views on this issue known. |
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| Quotable Quotes | |
| "The
churches' view of marriage is sacrosanct. I think it would cause an uproar
to force religious organizations to recognize (same sex marriages)."
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Peter McKay, M.P.,
Globe and Mail, Jan. 29, 2003 |
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| "It
is possible to be pro-family without rejecting less traditional family
forms...It is in society's interest to improve conditions to enable families
to function as best they can, free from discrimination."
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Madam Justice L'Heureux-Dube,
Supreme Court, in Mossop v. Canada, 1993. |
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| "The
legal nature of marriage is so entrenched in our society, and the changes
in law required so uncertain in the event same-sex marriages are to be
recognized by the state, that Parliament or legislatures, and not the court,
must make the changes."
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B.C. Supreme Court Justice Ian Pitfield
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| Factoids | |
| Some
68,000 gay and lesbian people in Canada live common law and collectively
account for less than 0.5% of the population.
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Statistics Canada Census 2001
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| Appeal The Marriage Decision | |
| Submit your views to:
The Right Honourable Jean Chrétien
The Honourable Martin Cauchon
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