Wednesday, February 16, 2005
PRIME MINISTER DEFENDS CHARTER (GAYS AND LESBIANS TOO, I GUESS)
Prime Minister Martin introduced Bill C-38 (The Civil Marriage Act) for second reading in the House today with a great speech defending the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Warren Kinsella (no perma-links) is calling it Martin's finest hour, which could very well be true given the standard the PM has thus far set for himself.
However, in my estimation, the prime minister still failed to fully deliver his support for same sex marriage. As Paul Wells has pointed out, Martin has had a great deal of difficulty actually saying, "I support the marriage of gay and lesbian couples" or words to that effect, which is unfortunate. The prime minister has been framing the issue as a defence of the Charter. To a degree this is appropriate. The larger issue is the protection of minority rights. However, the central and immediate issue is the marriage of gays and lesbians.
Throughout his speech today the prime minister defended the Charter and minority rights. The prime minister's argument continues to be that this legislation is necessary because our liberalism requires it and not that this legislation is appropriate and required because it is right for gays and lesbians to be able to marry whom they choose.
Its not that I think the former argument is unimportant: it is. But I also think the Prime Minister should be able to make the latter argument and show some support for the specific effects of the legislation he introduced today.
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The existing lawful opposite-sex definition of marriage applies equally to every person in Canada no matter what his or her sexual orientation is.
Every individual is equal before and under the existing opposite-sex-definition marriage law and has the right to the equal protection and equal benefit of the existing opposite-sex-definition marriage law without discrimination and, in particular, without discrimination based on race, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, sex, age or mental or physical disability.
The Lawful Definition of Marriage in Canada
http://www.ocii.com/~dpwozney/marriage.htm