Thursday May 15, 2003
HOMOSEXUAL ACTIVIST MP FILIBUSTERS COMMITTEE VOTE ON HATE CRIMES BILL
Canadians Continue to Voice Massive Opposition to Bill C-250
OTTAWA, May 15, 2003 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Homosexual activist MP Svend Robinson, whose private member's bill C-250 seeks to add the term "sexual orientation" into hate crimes legislation, avoided defeat of his bill with a filibuster yesterday. The justice committee was set to vote on the bill Wednesday but after Robinson concluded that the vote would not be in his favour he filibustered for the full hour allotted to the consideration of his bill.
Sources in parliament told LifeSite that several pro-family Liberal MPs were filling in for colleagues on the day of the scheduled committee vote. Liberal MPs Paul Steckle and Tom Wappel were both set to vote in favour of a Canadian Alliance motion to suggest that the House not proceed further with the bill.
The filibuster is very concerning since, if the committee does not act on the bill by May 27, 2003, it will be returned to the House for a vote without amendment. Further, the committee will not meet next week since the House of Commons is not sitting.
Canada Family Action Coalition (CFAC) today mailed another 5300 letters from Canadians demanding the federal government both preserve the current definition of marriage, and refuse to pass Bill C-250. This brings the total number of signed letters gathered by CFAC to over 45,000, plus approximately another 30,000 names on our Defence of Marriage petitions. Many thousands more have e-mailed and faxed their MPs voicing their concerns about these issues.
Says CFAC Executive Director Brian Rushfeldt, "Bill C-250, if passed, will criminalize those who voice their opposition to homosexuality and sodomy. Since 'hate' and 'propagation of hate' is not defined, it would empower activist judges to criminalize people of faith and those of moral conscience, simply for disagreeing with homosexual behaviour, whether on moral grounds or even based on medical concerns."
There is no question this bill would suppress freedom of religion and freedom of speech, he adds. "Legal and constitutional experts have warned this bill has the potential to make portions of the Bible and Torah illegal. One judge has already ruled against a portion of scripture, but could not go so far as to criminalize the person in this case. Bill C-250 would change that."
To voice your concerns committee members to contact include:
Mr. Irwin Cotler
Mr. John Maloney
Mr. John McKay
Mr. Derek Lee
Mr. Paul Harold Macklin
Ms. Marlene Jennings
Mr. Pat O'Brien
Mr. Joe Peschisolido
Mr. Peter MacKay
The Honourable Andy Scott
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