Harper’s Marriage Motion Did Not Respect The Democratic Process
Friday, December 8, 2006
BURLINGTON - Conservative Prime
Minister, Stephen Harper, claims that yesterday’s vote on his marriage motion
respected the democratic process, so the result should be honoured.
”That’s pure nonsense,” said ECP Centre President, Rev. Tristan Emmanuel. “Democracy
is not a commodity that belongs to political pragmatists so they can twist it
and manipulate it for their own career advancement. True democracy does not
exist without a foundation of real marriage and the natural family. Until marriage
and family are respected, we won’t respect yesterday’s result.”
More comment to follow...
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Letter to an Editor with some good insights.
Why aren't same-sex couples content to be common law?
By Dorothy Pape
Thursday, December 07, 2006 - 01:00
Letters to the Editor - Re: Same-sex marriage vote is destined to fail,
The Standard, Dec. 4.
I believe your editorial needs qualification. You say it will be a free vote,
but the NDP and Bloc Quebecois are expected to whip their caucuses.
The original parliamentary committee considering the matter was a farce.
It is not really a human right. It isn't included in the United Nations Human
Rights. It was specifically not included in the writing of our Constitution.
Some of our unelected Supreme Court judges just used their wishful imaginations.
The very secular French government, after much research, has decided against
it because of its effect on children whose welfare they regard as more important
than an adult's. They decided every child has a right to a father and a mother.
Any teacher knows that the majority of stable, well-adjusted children come from
homes where a father and mother are present. That aspect was given no consideration
by our Parliament.
Last year, a COMPAS poll showed 64 per cent of Canadians wanted this matter
to be reconsidered. It should really be a matter for a referendum.
Even if same-sex couples remain legally married, they and we are really just
kidding ourselves. They unfortunately can never experience the wonder and joy
of God's creative plan of a man and a woman becoming one flesh and producing
a new life for them to nurture.
No one is trying to separate these other couples, but why can they not be content
to live common law as so many do today?
Dorothy P
St. Catharines
December 7, 2006
Government Abandons Marriage, says CFAC
Calgary - After witnessing the weak performance by the small number of MPs that bothered to show up for the so-called “debate” in Parliament on marriage yesterday, some things have become painfully clear.
Canada Family Action Coalition (CFAC) says it is not just the opposition parties who have abandoned marriage. “The “progressive” Conservative MPs appear to be taking over the party in their abandonment of marriage” says Brian Rushfeldt, CFAC’s Executive Director. “Peter McKay, Gerald Keddy, Jim Prentice, James Moore and other likeminded “progressives“ have just set a tone that could result in a Conservative loss in the next election. When a party abandons the values of its core base, it loses support.”
Rushfeldt points out that over a million additional voters went to the polls in the last election. Who were those people? And what got them out? Did Gomery drive people to the polls by exposing the corruption of the Liberals? No – many may have not bothered to vote as a result of that issue because they lost trust in all politicians. On the other hand, CFAC believes that Prime Minister Harper’s promise to seriously re-visit the marriage issue did bring many additional voters out.
“The lack of a genuine defense of marriage or proposed solution in this week’s parliamentary debate signals the abandonment of conservative values,” says Rushfeldt. He adds, “The marriage issue must be re-opened regardless of the vote. A study to expose the impact upon children and society of the Liberal redefinition of marriage and the attempt to normalize homosexual behavior has to be done, regardless of this vote.”
The old “progressives” have all but guaranteed, at best a Conservative minority next election, and at worst a defeat. “We are well aware that the “old progressives” are unwilling to support any social conservative values or policies. I would like to remind the party that the old “progressives” under McKay’s leadership held all of 15 seats. And after Mulroney the abandonment of social conservatism they held – two. I would hope the Conservative Party would learn from its own history.”
“Now, more than ever, core conservatives will be demanding strong federal legislation protecting children and protecting freedoms of speech, religion, and conscience,” says Rushfeldt. “We must ensure judges do not continue prosecuting people for holding or expressing views that do not endorse a liberal politically correct philosophy. We must ensure that Canadians are free to express their views on issues of sexuality including homosexual behavior, as well as other foundational issues such as marriage, family, and morality. We must demand that such views are not quenched, oppressed or prosecuted in this democratic nation that boasts of its tolerance.” Judges must be checked from altering the Constitution whenever their ideology needs to be written into law. We have an amending formula for Constitutional change – I don’t see in it the power of one judge in one case to amend OUR Charter. Will a Conservative government protect the Charter that Dion is so proud to use when it suits liberal dogma.
What will the Conservatives do to regain support and trust of their core base before the next election? asks Rushfeldt. “We believe the Conservative’s only hope for a majority government is to appeal to the majority of Canadians and majority of their core support base.”
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REAL Women of Canada
“Women’s Rights Not at the Expense of Human Rights”
NGO in SPECIAL consultative status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations
M E D I A R E L E A S E
Same-sex Marriage Vote: A Farce
A Referendum is Required on the Issue
Ottawa, Ontario December 7, 2006
The Canadian political system does not serve the voters well, it only serves the interests of the politicians.
The vote today on same-sex marriage, with two of the political parties, the Bloc and the NDP requiring their members to vote along party lines on one of the most significant issues of this generation, is a disgrace and a blemish on democracy.
The Liberal leader Stéphane Dion was not much better. Begrudgingly, he allowed a free vote for his MPs , but he gravely misled his MPs and the public on the issue by claiming same-sex marriage was a “fundamental” right under the Charter. Either Mr. Dion was deliberately misrepresenting the situation or he is ignorant about the fact that the Supreme Court of Canada has never at any time ruled that traditional marriage was unconstitutional and that same-sex marriage was a “fundamental” right. Canadians and the Liberal party members deserve better leadership than that.
The debate is not over.
The egregious behaviour of politicians on the same-sex marriage issue necessitates that the public have a say on the issue, having been effectively ignored by the self-important politicians. There is no longer any doubt that a referendum on the issue must be called by the Conservative government.
Contact:
C. Gwendolyn Landolt Diane Watts
National Vice President Researcher
(905) 787-0348, (905) 731-5425 (613) 236-4001
(905) 889-1993
MR 06-14
December 8, 2006
Dear Defender of Marriage,
As you have no doubt heard, the House of Commons yesterday
rejected by 175-123 the Government's motion to reconsider at some future time
the decision last year to legalize same-sex marriage in Canada.
This is a tremendous disappointment, especially when opinion polls continue to show that the majority of Canadians support traditional marriage and protecting the rights of children to have a father and a mother.
One poll released just a couple of days ago, for example, found that 73% of Canadians want the government to defend the right of a child to be raised by a mother and a father whenever possible. Of course, by legalizing same sex marriage, we have guaranteed that too many children in Canada will be denied this right.
We are also disappointed that there was not a true free vote on this motion. Both the Bloc and the NDP, which together account for about one quarter of all MPs, did not allow their members a free vote.
We and other pro-family groups have already begun to work on our next moves. One thing is already certain, however. We will not give up our efforts to restore marriage to Canada because it is so vital to the future we bequeath to our children and to future generations. .
Thank you for what so many of you have done in this effort to get a favorable vote on this motion. We will continue working to achieve the goal of restoring marriage to Canada. We also will continue to keep you informed of important developments and suggest things you can do to help.
Sincerely,
The Hon. Dr. Grant Hill, P.C.
Coordinator
P.S. Please pass this on to everyone on your list.