North Bay, Ontario, August 19, 2003 (LifeSiteNews.com) - In its report today on the Liberal caucus meeting in North Bay, Ontario, the Globe and Mail noted the response of upcoming leader Paul Martin to the same-sex ‘marriage’ issue. The Globe reported that “Mr. Martin shot down two other prominent suggestions from opponents of same-sex marriage. He said he will not use the Constitution’s notwithstanding clause to ignore recent provincial court rulings that paved the way for the current legislation. He also rejected calls for a separate-but-equal version of marriage - a civil union specifically for gays and lesbians - because the idea is discriminatory, he said. He was in agreement with Mr. Chrétien on that point”. Further confirming that Martin, when he becomes leader, will likely not provide any encouragement for pro-family Canadians, the Globe reported Martin “supports draft legislation that would allow gays and lesbians to marry because it respects the Charter of Rights and Freedoms” but added “he’s willing to listen to Liberal MPs openly plotting against the bill if they have an alternative to same-sex marriage, as long as it meets Charter guarantees of equality in a way that will satisfy the courts”. Although Martin is quoted as stating “I believe that members of Parliament do have a right to make their voices heard”, given his other remarks, it is not clear what degree of real say in government policy on this issue a Prime Minster Martin will actually give elected Members of Parliament, other than a free vote. See the Globe story at http://www.globeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20030819.wsame0819_2a/BNStory/National/