OTTAWA, February 22, 2001 (LSN.ca) – Yesterday Liberal MP Elinor Caplan, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, tabled the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act in the House of Commons. The new bill touts as an improvement over current legislation the expansion of the “family class” to include “common law & same sex partners.” The changes will allow homosexuals to gain permanent residence in Canada based on their relationship in the same way as a husband and wife can now. The change appears to be more ideological than practical since homosexuals can already apply under the “humanitarian and compassionate” category.
See the Press release on the bill’s introduction and the touted new family class: https://www.cic.gc.ca/english/press/01/0103-pre.html https://www.cic.gc.ca/english/about/policy/deck/sld008.htm