Politics
Goal: $45,000. Donations received: $19,225.
Tuesday February 22, 2000
E-mail
PrintHOMOSEXUAL BENEFITS BILL PASSES SECOND READING
TODAY'S HEADLINES
14 Liberals Oppose Own Gov't Legislation
OTTAWA, Feb 22 (LSN.ca) - Bill C-23, which proposes to give all significant benefits of marriage to homosexuals living together in a sexual relationship, passed second reading yesterday and has been sent to committee for review. All 31 Reform MPs in the House of Commons yesterday voted against the bill. 5 Progressive Conservatives, 10 Bloc Québécois, and 1 Independent voted against the bill as well. Despite the fact that Prime Minister Chretien would not allow a free vote on the measure, 14 courageous Liberals voted against the government legislation, knowing that their actions leave them prey to party disciplinary measures such as demotions within various posts.
In total, 116 Liberals voted in favour of the bill (89% of Liberals who voted yesterday), 10 Progressive Conservatives (67%), 6 NDP (100%), and 28 Bloc Québécois (74%).
LifeSite spoke with Tom Wappel, one of the Liberal MP's who voted to defend the family regardless of censure. Wappel warned that despite the busy schedule of the justice committee, the bill is likely to be fast-tracked perhaps taking only days to return to the House. Wappel noted that remarkable public outcry to the legislation has not yet materialized. Wappel also noted that disciplinary measures against the 13 were unlikely since the government only retains a majority by 6 or 8 seats.
Of note, a majority of MP's also voted yesterday to stifle debate on the issue, effectively denying the public a voice.
A complete list of votes by party is available on request from LifeSite News
See where your MP voted on letting Bill C-23 proceed:
http://www.parl.gc.ca/36/2/parlbus/chambus/house/debates/053_2000-02-21/han053-e...
See where your MP voted on curtailing debate on Bill C-23:
http://www.parl.gc.ca/36/2/parlbus/chambus/house/debates/053_2000-02-21/han053-e...
ACTION ITEM: Pro-family groups have encouraged supporters to contact their MP's immediately to urge them to vote against Bill C-23 at its upcoming 3rd reading. Pro-family supporters may also wish to contact the justice committee to request a travelling assessment of the concerns of Canadians on the matter and members of the federal cabinet. Finally it is suggested that you write letters to local newspapers outlining the seriousness of the threat to the family and encouraging action.
Justice Clerk Roger Préfontaine, Justice Committee Chair Andy Scott Prime Minister. Jean Chrétien Justice Minister. Anne McLellan Finance Minister Paul Martin Treasury Board Pres. Lucienne Robillard v Minister of Human Resources Jane Stewart Minister of Citizenship Elinor Caplan
Back to TopADVENTISTS PUSH FOR CONSCIENCE LEGISLATION IN ALBERTA
CALGARY, Feb 22 (LSN.ca) - A conference of the Seventh-day Adventists held at their Canadian University College near Lacombe Feb 12, addressed the need for conscience legislation to protect against being forced to participate in abortion. The conference, "A Religious Conscience Clause for Healthcare Workers," heard from Edmonton MLA Julius Yankowsky who has sponsored Private Member's Bill 212 in the Alberta Legislature, defining "health-care professionals' conscience rights."
The Calgary Herald reports that the keynote speaker, Lincoln Steed, editor of the Adventist's Liberty magazine, said "That a public employer might instead try to force Christian nurses to engage in late-term abortions should be a wake-up call to all people of faith. Our society is losing its view of mankind as a creation of God, made in his image." "The state has a duty at least to protect the rights of workers who object to such procedures," he said.
The issue has been a hot one in Calgary since the Foothills hospital fiasco last year where it was discovered that nurses were being forced to participate in late-term eugenic abortions.
(with files from Pro-Life E-News)
For coverage of the Foothills fiasco see:
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/1999/april/990409a.html
CLINTON USES AIDS TO SCARE AFRICA INTO CONDOMS
WASHINGTON, Feb 22 (LSN.ca) - Speaking to the National Summit on Africa on Thursday US President Bill Clinton departed from his prepared speech to cajole religious Africans to accept condoms and sex-education using the threat of Aids as an incentive to abandon moral principles. Knight Ridder News Service reported that Clinton said "Now, I know this is a difficult and sensitive issue, I know there are cultural and religious factors that make it very difficult to tackle this issue (Aids) from a preventive point of view. . . . But the real answer is to stop people from getting the HIV virus in the first place."
See the report at:
http://www.phillynews.com/inquirer/2000/Feb/18/international/AFRICA18.htm
The Summit on Africa site is:
http://www.africasummit.org/
UTAH SENATE PASSES BAN ON ADOPTION BY UNWED COUPLES
SALT LAKE CITY, Feb 22 (LSN.ca) - On Monday the Utah Senate passed a bill banning adoptions by non-married couples. The Associated Press reported that the bill passed 17-9 and will go to the House for consideration. However a House-sponsored bill with the same intent has already cleared committee and is awaiting debate.
Gay activists are threatening legal action, and say the court costs could add up to millions of dollars.
See the report in the Tribune at:
http://www.sltrib.com/02222000/legislat/28297.htm
LIFESITE NEWSBYTES
A Christian school in New Zealand has banned the child-toy craze Pokemon saying that the toys are laced with references to the occult and promote anti-social behaviour. Promotional material described various Pokemon as "stubborn, headstrong, quibbling, self-centred, vindictive, obnoxious, hormonal, sexually preoccupied, evil thieving, and cross-dressing." http://www.herald.co.nz/storydisplay.cfm?storyID=119713&thesection=news&thesubse... general
A Toronto Library offers a special collection of books for children called the "Gay and Lesbian Collection". The collection includes: "fiction, art, magazines, biography, health, parenting, religion, social sciences and books for children of gay and lesbian parents." http://www.tpl.toronto.on.ca/Services/special.htm
The National Post reports that a Canadian Forces sergeant and a retired Toronto police constable who are undergoing the transition from male to female are the subjects of a documentary tonight on the CBC evening news program The Magazine. http://www.nationalpost.com/news.asp?f=000222/211734&s2=national
A new Christian paper called Endeavour notes that the Ontario government recently decided to provide health services for all students, including those in private Christian schools. http://www.pathcom.com/~jmjt/Endeavour/Feb00/provfund.html
MORE NEWS: 
LifeSiteNews.com Home Page Last 10 Days Archives Special Reports
Copyright © LifeSiteNews.com. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivatives License. You may republish this article or portions of it without request provided the content is not altered and it is clearly attributed to "LifeSiteNews.com". Any website publishing of complete or large portions of original LifeSiteNews articles MUST additionally include a live link to www.LifeSiteNews.com. The link is not required for excerpts. Republishing of articles on LifeSiteNews.com from other sources as noted is subject to the conditions of those sources.