3dGameMan
06-07-2005, 06:58 AM
PM makes deal with MPs opposed to same-sex bill: ~source (http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/1118143795876_12/?hub=TopStories)
CTV.ca News Staff
The prime minister and MPs opposed to the same-sex marriage bill have reached a deal, possibly averting further internal dissent.
Prime Minister Paul Martin held a private meeting with more than 30 MPs was held last night, following a decision by Liberal MP Pat O'Brien to leave the party and sit as an Independent over the legislation.
CTV's Ottawa Bureau Chief Robert Fife told CTV's Canada AM this morning that Martin and the MPs came to an agreement on four points.
The agreement says Bill-C38 must clarify that:
Churches do not have to marry same-sex couples
Justices of the Peace who do not want to perform civil marriages of same-sex couples will not have to do so
Churches are not required to rent out their halls for same-sex weddings
Religious educational institutes will still be allowed to teach that homosexuality is against God's law, without being subject to hate crime laws
"MPs emerged from that meeting very happy," Fife said.
"They know that obviously that even though they don't want this bill to pass, they don't have the numbers. But they feel that the prime minister met them half way."
It's unclear whether O'Brien will seek a return to the Liberal caucus following this latest development.
O'Brien left the Liberals to sit as an Independent over what he said were concerns about legislation to legalize same-sex marriage.
"I'm not being listened to in the Liberal caucus to the degree I want to be on this issue. They're determined to move forward on this issue and you can see what a rush they are in to do that," O'Brien said Monday.
O'Brien was reportedly at a meeting last week of about a dozen Liberal MPs opposed to same-sex marriage. The group met to discuss strategy, according to a report in The Globe and Mail.
For a fleeting moment, The Globe's Jane Taber writes, the MPs considered supporting the Conservatives on a non-confidence motion to bring down the government. That would also kill the same-sex marriage bill...
CTV.ca News Staff
The prime minister and MPs opposed to the same-sex marriage bill have reached a deal, possibly averting further internal dissent.
Prime Minister Paul Martin held a private meeting with more than 30 MPs was held last night, following a decision by Liberal MP Pat O'Brien to leave the party and sit as an Independent over the legislation.
CTV's Ottawa Bureau Chief Robert Fife told CTV's Canada AM this morning that Martin and the MPs came to an agreement on four points.
The agreement says Bill-C38 must clarify that:
Churches do not have to marry same-sex couples
Justices of the Peace who do not want to perform civil marriages of same-sex couples will not have to do so
Churches are not required to rent out their halls for same-sex weddings
Religious educational institutes will still be allowed to teach that homosexuality is against God's law, without being subject to hate crime laws
"MPs emerged from that meeting very happy," Fife said.
"They know that obviously that even though they don't want this bill to pass, they don't have the numbers. But they feel that the prime minister met them half way."
It's unclear whether O'Brien will seek a return to the Liberal caucus following this latest development.
O'Brien left the Liberals to sit as an Independent over what he said were concerns about legislation to legalize same-sex marriage.
"I'm not being listened to in the Liberal caucus to the degree I want to be on this issue. They're determined to move forward on this issue and you can see what a rush they are in to do that," O'Brien said Monday.
O'Brien was reportedly at a meeting last week of about a dozen Liberal MPs opposed to same-sex marriage. The group met to discuss strategy, according to a report in The Globe and Mail.
For a fleeting moment, The Globe's Jane Taber writes, the MPs considered supporting the Conservatives on a non-confidence motion to bring down the government. That would also kill the same-sex marriage bill...