Politics
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Monday March 16, 1998
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PrintNEWS NOTES FROM PARLIAMENT HILL - Mar 16 (LSN)
TODAY'S HEADLINES
SVEND ROBINSON - Homosexual and euthanasia activist MP Svend Robinson (NDP, Burnaby-Douglas) is planning to have a child with his homosexual "partner" Max Riveron. The Vancouver Province revealed on March 9 that Riveron is thinking of fathering a baby with a lesbian.
REDEFINE SPOUSE - On March 12 Lucienne Robillard, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, seemed to indicate she would support amending immigration policy to change the definition of spouse to include homosexual "partners." In answer to a question on the immigration policy she responded, "the member will see some very good proposals concerning family categories including how to extend the definition of spouse..."
NATIONAL SOVEREIGNTY? - Liberal MP Robert Bertrand (Lib., Pontiac—Gatineau—Labelle) proposed a bill on March 13 to remove the word "National" from the title of the "Department of National Defence." Bertrand suggested the "restrictive adjective" should be dropped to reflect Canada's role in "international security."
Back to TopREFORM CALLS FOR END TO UNFAIR FAMILY TAXATION
OTTAWA, Mar 16 - Reform Family Caucus Chair Eric Lowther is calling on pro-family advocates to write to Finance Minister Paul Martin to protest the unfair taxation levied against parents who decide to stay home and care for their children. In the House of Commons last week the Calgary Centre MP pointed out that the recent budget tabled by Martin "increased discrimination against parents who choose to care for their children at home." He asked the Minister, "When if ever will the government stop saying to stay-at-home parents that they will be given a tax break if someone else looks after their children, but if they do it, there is no value in it?"
The following day Mr. Lowther noted the case of Calgary homemaker Beverley Smith who lobbied Canadian officials for two decades for equitable tax treatment. Ms. Smith has brought her case against the Canadian government to the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women, pointing out 11 areas under which Canada discriminates against homemakers. Ms. Smith points out that others can deduct child-care expenses but homemakers cannot.
Pro-family advocates are urged to contact Paul Martin on this issue and to send a copy of any written communications to Mr. Lowther.
Paul Martin 515-S Centre Block House of Commons Ottawa, ON K1A 0A6 Phone: (613) 992-4284 Fax: (613) 992-4291
Eric Lowther 254 Wellington Building House of Commons Ottawa, ON K1A 0A6 Phone: (613) 995-1127 Fax: (613) 995-7111 Email:
U.N. MARCHES TOWARD MANDATING ABORTION
UNITED NATIONS, Mar 16 (LSN) - In a press conference on Friday, the UN Commission on the Status of Women released more details on the upcoming "optional protocol" for the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW). Aloisia Woergetter, Chairperson of the Open-ended Working Group on the Elaboration of a Draft Optional Protocol to the CEDAW, told reporters that the latest "breakthrough" in terms of the Optional Protocol was a move "forbidding reservations to the protocol." This would then mandate that all countries that ratified this protocol would be legally bound to uphold CEDAW in every detail, which would include upholding the "reproductive rights of women" (including abortion) and would also include targeting any "culture and tradition" which stands in the way.
In the press conference, Woergetter also confirmed reports issued earlier by United Families International president Susan Roylance. Woergetter said her Working Group "focused on elaborating a protocol that would establish a right of petition for individual women to appear before the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women." Thus an individual woman who felt her "right" to an abortion was compromised by a pro-life organization's very existence could bring her case forward to the UN. The petition "would also trigger an inquiry procedure by which the Committee could address serious or systematic women's rights violations " by countries which have ratified the convention.
According to Woergetter, in the case of an individual's complaint against a country, the Committee would first assess the admissibility of the case and then proceed to make known its "views and recommendations" to the country in question.
Given that the Protocol would "forbid reservations," all recommendations given by the Committee would be mandatory. "Those (recommendations) might include revising discriminatory legislation or promoting a policy change to enable the State to fulfil its Convention obligations, or compensation might be sought for the complainant," she said.
Woergetter also noted that the wording of the document would not be finalized until next year.
MICHIGAN BANS ASSISTED SUICIDE
LANSING, Mich., Mar 16 (LSN) - Last Thursday the Michigan House of Representatives voted 60 to 40 to pass a bill banning assisted suicide. The move, praised by the Catholic Church, has set the stage for another legal confrontation with assisted-suicide advocate Jack Kevorkian, who has assisted suicides without punishment for many years. Early last week Kevorkian admitted to "assisting the suicide" of his 99th victim. On Friday, he announced his 100th victim, 66-year-old Waldo Herman of Detroit.
FLORIDA BANS PARTIAL-BIRTH ABORTIONS
TALLAHASSEE, Fla., Mar 16 (LSN) - Last week the Florida Legislature voted 32-7 to approve a ban on partial-birth abortions that would subject doctors who commit the crime to jail time and fines. The legislation is slated to take effect in July, but first must survive at least one court challenge. The law would make the procedure a third-degree felony unless the procedure is "needed" to save the woman's life.
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