In Canada, Same Sex “Marriage” Vote a Farce

Dec 7, 2006, press release from Real Women for Canada:

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.