OTTAWA, May 30, 2005 (LifeSiteNews.com) – The Liberals have attempted to invoke closure for committee debate on Bill C-38 which seeks to legalize homosexual ‘marriage’. However the order to invoke closure is buried below some 22 motions submitted by a Conservative MP in the committee. Therefore the Liberals, NDP and Bloc are ready to issue a special motion in the House to order the bill out of committee on June 9 so that the legislation may receive final passage in July prior to a summer recess.
Liberal MP Don Boudria has put forward a motion in the committee which stacked with homosexual ‘marriage’ supporters – to end the hearings by June 9. However, Conservative MP and committee member Vic Toews is seeking 22 additional witnesses including Calgary Bishop Fred Henry, who has thus far been denied a opportunity to make a presentation to the committee. Toews’ 22 motions presenting his case for the other witnesses are all to be considered prior to Boudria’s closure motion.
Frustrated by the delay, the Liberal Government and the NDP have conspired to use a relatively unknown procedure to force the bill out of committee.
Toews warns that his concerns about the legislation are very real. Toews told the National Post, it’s about churches losing their tax status. “They’ll say, ‘Well, you’ve got the right to refuse (to marry homosexuals), but since you’re discriminating in a manner that’s similar to racism, that is the equation that is being made here and the arguments, you’re not entitled to these kind of income-tax benefits,” said Mr. Toews. “I know that’s coming.”