Renewed marriage debate looms as Justice Minister pledges to close loophole
OTTAWA, Ontario , January 13, 2012 ( LifeSiteNews.com ) – In the wake of outrage over a government lawyer’s argument that same-sex “ marriages ” conducted for non-residents in Canada are invalid, Canada’s Justice Minister has declared that they are indeed legal and is pledging to fill the “legislative gap” that he says currently prevents those couples from obtaining a divorce in Canada . “I want to make it clear that in our government’s view, these marriages are valid,” said Minister Rob Nicholson , at one time rated pro-family, on Friday. Minister Rob Nicholson Furor erupted among media and activists Thursday after the Globe and Mail reported that Justice Department lawyers had argued that non-residents who came to Canada for a same-sex “marriage” are only legally “married” if same-sex “marriage” is recognized in their own jurisdiction. The statement came in a divorce case involving a couple hailing from Florida and the U.K. who were “married” in Toronto in 2005. Pundits, homosexu