Opposition Slams Justice Minister’s Cross-Canada Homosexual ‘Marriage’ Tour

OTTAWA, September 11, 2003 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Federal Justice Minister Martin Cauchon’s cross-country tour is nothing but a sham designed to convince Canadians that he cares about their views, says Canadian Alliance Justice Critic Vic Toews.  Cauchon launched his tour today in Winnipeg with a view to convincing Canadians of his plan to legalize same sex marriage.  Today, he is scheduled to meet with Mayor Glen Murray and the city’s Task Force on Equity, and is expected to visit BC, Alberta, and Ontario later this week.  “It’s a complete disgrace that this Minister sent the Justice Committee all over the country to find out what Canadians thought about this issue, and spent a quarter of a million dollars doing so, then decided he didn’t like what they had to say.  He didn’t get the answers he wanted, so now instead of listening to Canadians, he’s more interesting in telling them what Ottawa thinks,” Toews said.  At Cauchon’s request, between January and June 2003, the House of Commons Justice Committee considered oral evidence and written briefs from hundreds of Canadians in every region of the country.  The Committee was heavily divided on the issue, but was expected to release its report in June. Instead, the report was pre-empted by the Liberals when they forced a vote at the Committee, and replaced the usual committee members with those who would vote ‘yes’ to same sex marriage.  “Recent polls show that Canadians are clearly split right down the middle of this debate.  And furthermore, they are not fooled by these manipulative Liberal tactics.  Next week when Parliament is back in session, the Canadian Alliance will demand political accountability from the Liberals by hosting a vote on the definition of marriage,” Toews said.  Canada Family Action Coalition Executive Director Brian Rushfeldt echoed the sentiments calling Cauchon’s excursion a “tax-funded tour of indoctrination” promising “we will ensure that marriage, as well as Bill C-250 (hate crimes) are election issues.”