By Tim Bloedow
The Interim

As expected, Bill C-23 passed easily at third reading in the House of Commons on April 11. Amendments to improve the bill by having it effectively affirm the importance of (heterosexual) marriage were defeated by the Liberals with help from the Bloc, the New Democrats and the Tories. All Canadian Alliance MPs in the House at the time voted against the legislation.

The bill, which gives homosexual partners equal standing with common-law couples in terms of federal government benefits, has now moved to the Senate where it is expected to pass relatively easily. In fact, some of the pro-family groups which fought the bill in the lower house have not mounted a campaign to head it off in the Upper Chamber. In a statement following the vote, CFAC (the Canada Family Action Coalition) predicted that it would be passed quickly in the “Liberal dominated Senate.” Focus on the Family and REAL Women, however, are encouraging their supporters to write to the senators to express their opposition to the bill. REAL Women hopes that some of the senators will slow down passage of the bill by demanding extensive debate and the chance to propose amendments.

The bill passed in the House with a vote of 176-72. Of those who opposed it, 17 were backbench Liberals, only two of them women – Ontarians Judi Longfield (Whitby-Ajax) and Rose-Marie Ur (Lambton-Kent-Middlesex)) who refused to violate their consciences despite the Prime Minister’s refusal to allow a free vote. Fourteen of the Liberals were from Ontario, one was from Manitoba, one was from Québec and the other was from New Brunswick.

Unfortunately, however, several Liberals who have been identified in the past as pro-family MPs voted for the bill, including Paul Szabo (Mississauga South) and Albina Guarnieri (Mississauga East). Evangelical Christian Liberals John McKay (Scarborough East) and David Kilgour (Edmonton Southeast) did not show up to vote.

Four Progressive Conservatives voted against the bill: Gilles Bernier (Tobique-Mactaquac, New Brunswick), Norman Doyle (St. John’s East), Greg Thompson (New Brunswick Southwest), and Elsie Wayne (Saint John). Ten Tories registered votes in favour of the bill, including their family critic Diane St-Jacques (Shefford, Québec), their justice critic Peter MacKay (Pictou-Antigonish-Guysborough, Nova Scotia), their only western MP Rick Borotsik (Brandon-Souris, Manitoba) and two pro-life MPs, Bill Casey (Cumberland-Colchester, Nova Scotia) and Mark Muise (West Nova, Nova Scotia).

Pro-family forces made it clear in their comments leading up to the vote that they see Bill C-23 as just a step away from the redefinition of marriage to include same-sex couples. Homosexual activists, including the national lobby group EGALE (Equality for Gays and Lesbians Everywhere), have stated their intent to continue pushing for such a change in Canadian law.. In Ontario, Christian businessman, Scott Brockie, was told by a human rights tribunal adjudicator that the constitutionally protected freedoms of religion and conscience are no justification for practicing beliefs “in a manner that discriminates against lesbians and gays by denying them a service available to everyone else.”