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Canada Expected To Pass National Gay Marriage Bill Next Week
by Canadian Press
Ottawa) Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin's Commons corps dusted off a rarely used procedural tactic just before midnight to bamboozle furious Conservatives and pass contentious Liberal-NDP budget amendments late Thursday night.
The immediate result was the stifling of any threat of a summer election and an acceleration of the vote on same-sex marriage. That vote could occur as early as Monday.
The Conservatives could only sputter and fume after their unofficial partners in the Bloc Quebecois deserted them to join the Liberals and the NDP to cut off debate on the budget.
They compared their Liberal, NDP and Bloc opponents to crooks, Satan and Hollywood homicidal maniac Hannibal Lecter.
By contrast NDP Leader Jack Layton stood triumphant in the Commons while his jubilant troops tossed shredded paper and applauded one of the biggest coups in their party's history: approval of their $4.6 billion budget deal with the government.
``There's been so much name-calling and finger-pointing here that the key for us was just to get something done,'' he said of his deal.
``We've been months here without much to show for it and finally we have a positive budget.''
The NDP budget deal, struck this spring when the Liberals desperately needed allies in Parliament, erased corporate tax cuts and replaced them with $4.6 billion for housing, the environment, education and foreign aid.
The realization of what had occurred only dawned on the Tories as they gazed around the shuttle buses that normally ferry MPs off Parliament Hill and realized there wasn't a Liberal in sight.
Every available Liberal MP was cloistered in the Commons lobby waiting to spring into a vote to cut off debate. The Liberals, the Bloc and New Democrats made extraordinary use of a rule allowing for cutting off debate on the budget if they agreed the Conservatives were being obstructionist.
Conservative Leader Stephen Harper poured scorn on the alliance.
``When push comes to shove the Liberals will make any deal with anybody,'' Harper said after he was forced to rush back for a midnight vote. ``And it doesn't matter whether it's with the socialists or with the separatists or any bunch of crooks they can find.''
Though the Bloc stood with the Tories in the midnight budget ballotting, the Liberals still mustered five more votes than the Tory-Bloc alignment. Several Conservative MPs were absent.
The Liberals were taking a monumental gamble. A loss on the vote would force the prime minister to dissolve Parliament and call a summer election.
But Liberal strategists were confident they had caught the Conservatives unawares and decided to risk their government for a decisive victory.
``I hope they can count,'' Liberal MP Shawn Murphy said of Liberal strategists as MPs milled around before the vote.
Polls have suggested for almost two months now that an election would see the Liberals returned with a minority mandate. Privately, several Conservative MPs were hoping for an ``honorable loss'' on the budget vote to avoid an election that could have cost them seats, particularly in their Ontario beachhead.
The Tories, who had boldly predicted they could topple the Liberal government on the budget vote, were suddenly complaining they had members missing.
A few Conservatives were missing from their seats in an earlier vote Thursday evening. More could been seen racing back up Parliament Hill when news broke of the impending budget showdown.
They reacted with unfiltered rage.
Conservative deputy leader Peter MacKay described his foes as a menage a trois between separatists, socialists and power-hungry Liberals.
Liberals claims of making the minority Parliament work was ``all just one big, fat stinking lie'' and then went further, comparing the Liberals to one of Hollywood's most heinous homicidal cannibals.
``We have to start thinking that Hannibal Lecter is running the government and they'll do anything they have to do to win.''
Tory MP John Reynolds was ranting about the Liberals jumping ``in bed with the devil'' - the Bloc Quebecois.
Liberals could barely contain their glee in response.
``Its not surprising that Hannibal Lecter should spring to mind for MacKay given the growing number of Conservatives who believe the party should soon eat its own leader,'' said Scott Reid, the prime minister's spokesman.
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Gay Marriage Legal In 9th Canadian Region
by Derwin Parsons 365Gay.com Atlantic Canada Bureau Chief
(Fredericton, New Brunswick) Canada's Maritime province of New Brunswick has become the latest region where the definition of marriage as between a man and a woman has been struck down.
In a written ruling Thursday Judge Judy Clendenning ruled in favor of four same-sex couples seeking the right to marry.
The couples sued the provincial government arguing that its refusal to grant them marriage licenses is a violation of the Canadian Constitution.
"There's no discrimination more oppressive than discrimination by a government on its citizens," lawyer Alison Menard, told Clendenning in oral arguments last week.
In her ruling Clendenning said the definition of civil marriage would have to be changed from a lawful union between a man and a woman, to a lawful union "between two persons."
"What it means is that anybody that meets the definition of capacity to marry is able to go and get a marriage license," Menard told the CBC.
"So in this particular circumstance, couples of same gender will be able to obtain marriage licenses and celebrate marriages."
A bid by conservative religious groups to be heard in the case was rejected. Clendenning ruled that they weren't bringing anything "new or unique" to the table other than trying to make same-sex marriage a "morality" issue.
The ruling leaves only two provinces - Prince Edward Island and Alberta - and two territories - Nunavut and The Northwest Territories - where same-sex couples cannot marry.
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