OTTAWA, May 5, 2005 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Conservative Leader Stephen Harper put a smile on the faces of social conservatives today with his statement that the homosexual ‘marriage’ legislation would not pass before an election. One day after Parliament passed the bill on second reading by a 27 vote margin (164-137), the Conservative Leader told the media, “I don’t expect the bill to make it through this Parliament.”
The Defend Marriage Coalition, a coalition of pro-family advocacy groups across Canada, today vowed to defeat MPs who voted for Bill C-38. In fact, pro-family groups are pleased the second reading vote clearly identifies those MPsÂwho are out to destroy marriage so that they may be targeted for defeat.
35 Liberal MP’s voted against their own government’s Bill C-38 which seeks to redefine marriage. In the upcoming election, all other Liberals, in addition to facing consequences of the sponsorship scandal, will also have to account for their actions to trash traditional marriage and family life.
Of the 99 Conservative MPs, two were absent (one very ill, the other out of the country), 93 voted against the gay ‘marriage’ bill and four supported the Liberal legislation. The four Conservative MPs who voted to support homosexual ‘marriage’ are: James Moore (Port Moody-Westwood-Port Coquitlam, BC), Gerald Keddy (South Shore-St. Margaret’s, Nova Scotia), Jim Prentice (Calgary Centre-North, Alberta) and Belinda Stronach (Newmarket-Aurora, Ontario).
Seven members of the Bloc Quebecois voted against the legislation. The three independent MPs also voted against. All NDP MPs voted to support the gay ‘marriage’ bill except NDP member Bev Desjarlais who abstained despite saying previously she would vote against the legislation. The NDP was the only party to deny its members any freedom of choice to vote according to their consciences.
Dr. Charles McVety, senior director of the Defend Marriage Coalition said “The Defend Marriage Coalition is determined to take this fight to the people, and to ensure the defeat of as many anti-marriage MPs as possible in the next federal election, regardless of party affiliation.”
Parliament Hill sources informed LifeSiteNews.com that the passage of Bill C-38 if the government falls in late May is a virtual impossibility.