Monday February 28, 2005
Polygamy Study Driven by Liberal Concern over Gay “Marriage” Legislation
Justice Minister Cotler caught in another fib
OTTAWA, February 28, 2005 (LifeSiteNews.com) – The Liberal Party’s call for a polygamy study was driven by the fear that opening the door to same-sex “marriage” would also pave the way for legalization of polygamy, according to a recently released document from Status of Women Canada.
Liberal party members and the media ridiculed the suggestion by Conservative Party Leader Stephen Harper that there was a connection between the timing of the study and same-sex “marriage” legislation.
“The question of polygamy has also arisen lately in connection with the current public debate on civil marriage and the legal recognition of same-sex unions,” the three-page document states, according to a Canadian Press report. CP obtained the document under the Access to Information Act.
“Concerns have been raised by some that in changing one aspect of the legal capacity to marry to allow equal access to civil marriage for same-sex couples, all of the other aspects of legal capacity may also be vulnerable to attack under the Charter, including the ban on the practice of polygamy.”
“The government will likely be called upon to reassure Canadians that it is possible to hold the line on civil marriage, by retaining the requirement for monogamy and other restrictions on minimum age and marriage between close relatives.”
Justice Minister Irwin Cotler denied any connection between same-sex “marriage” legislation and the request for the study. “Any attempt to make that kind of connection is simply a way of confusing distinguishable issues in every regard,” Cotler said.
See CP coverage: http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=1845&ncid=1845&e=6&u=/cpress/20050227/ca_pr_on_na/polygamy_same_sex
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