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(Ottawa) Canada's two major parties are facing
internal conflicts over their respective stands on same-sex marriage.
Tempers flared Wednesday in a closed-door meeting
of the Liberal caucus as Prime Minister Paul Martin pleaded with his troops to
keep the debate civil.
Over at the opposition Conservative Party, three
more members have broken ranks with their leader and say they'll vote for the
Liberal government's marriage bill.
The Liberal clash began when one opponent of gay
marriage accused the prime minister of misleading party MPs into thinking there
would be a truly free vote on the issue, a witnesses told the Canadian Press.
Ontario MP Tom Wappel, a long time opponent of
gay rights, was finally ordered to sit down during the argument with other party
members.
Martin has promised a free vote for all Liberals
except the cabinet on the marriage issue but MP Pat O'Brien, who also opposes
gay marriage, complained that dissidents in the party are being encouraged
by the whip's office to skip the vote, a claim the government denies.
The dissidents, who number about 30, also
complained about a government decision earlier this week rejecting calls for a
national referendum on gay marriage. Justice Minister Irwin Cotler said
human rights are not a popularity contest.
Martin eventually waded into the dispute.
"We're going to have differing opinions but
you've got to respect each other's opinions,'' two witnesses quoted Martin as
telling his troops.
"I might not agree with (opponents of
same-sex marriage) but the reality is this is a government initiative. And I
still respect their opinion.''
Despite the wrangling within the government the
bill is expected to pass. A majority of Liberals are now behind the measure, and
it has the support of the small New Democratic Party and the Bloc Quebecois.
But, supporters of gay marriage also have gotten
support from an unlikely source - the opposition Conservatives.
Three more Conservative MPs split
with their leader on the issue Wednesday.
Gerald Keddy, Jim Prentice and James Moore say they will support the Liberal
government's bill. They join Belinda Stronach who long ago
declared her support for gay marriage and at least one other Conservative member
is still deciding which way to vote.
Party leader Stephen Harper opposes the plan to change the traditional
definition of marriage. He proposes instead that gays be entitled to "civil
unions." But he is allowing caucus members to vote their conscience.
Prentice, who represents Calgary, said he is supporting the legislation because
individual rights trump any other concern.
"For me, the marriage question is one of individual liberty, of
constitutional liberty.
"Fundamentally, the question is this: what right do we as a society have to
refuse gay Canadians something that the rest of us are entitled to - namely, a
civil marriage license."
He said he answered a simple question.
"What moral or political authority do we have to deny gay Canadians the
issuance of a government marriage license?"
Moore, from B.C., said two people in love should not be stopped from marrying.
"If two people are of the same sex and they're consenting adults and they
want to stand together in public and say 'I'm going to be with this person for
the rest of my life' . . . I don't know that there's a public harm in people
doing that."
But both Prentice and Moore said they intend to support Tory amendments to
strengthen protections of religious freedoms, including the right to refuse to
perform gay marriages.
That's already in the government's bill, but critics say it doesn't go far
enough.
Tory MP Lee Richardson is polling his Calgary riding to see what constituents
want.
Meanwhile, the province of Ontario announced
Wednesday that it will
change about 170 laws and regulations to redefine the word ''spouse''.
''It is clear that we have to update the
definition of spouse that is in our current laws,'' Attorney General Michael Bryant said.
Bryant added that the government would have moved
six months ago but the federal government took its draft marriage bill to the
Supreme Court of Canada and Ontario wanted to wait until the court ruled.
The Ontario legislation changing the
definition of spouse to recognize gay and lesbian couples would include a clause
to protect religious groups from having to perform same-sex marriages against
their beliefs.
''There will be a freedom of religion component
in our bill,'' he said. ''Religious officials cannot be compelled to perform
marriages, and can control their sacred property in a way that's consistent with
their religious doctrine.''
©365Gay.com 2005
with files from The Canadian Press
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