Skip to main content

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, homosexualists, and opposition politicians immediately jumped on the report as further evidence of the Harper government’s “hidden agenda” to curtail homosexual “rights” and abortion access.
But Prime Minister Stephen Harper reiterated that his government has “no intention of opening or reopening this issue.”
Nicholson says he will consider legislative reform that would ensure same-sex “marriages” for non-residents are valid, and that they can obtain a divorce.
“This will apply to all marriages performed in Canada,” he said. “We have been clear that we have no desire to reopen this issue – both myself and the Prime Minister consider this debate to be closed.”
He blamed Paul Martin’s Liberal government, which legalized same-sex “marriage” in 2005, for the error.  “The confusion and pain resulting from this gap is completely unfair to those who are affected,” said Nicholson.
There have reportedly been more than 15,000 same-sex “marriages” in Canada since they were legalized, and more than 5,000 involved non-resident couples.
Contact Information:
Hon. Rob Nicholson, Justice Minister
Phone: 613-995-1547
Email:  rob.nicholson@parl.gc.ca
Prime Minister Stephen Harper
E-mail: pm@pm.gc.ca

Related articles
Enhanced by Zemanta

Popular posts from this blog

Ontario Catholic school board to vote on flying gay ‘pride flag’ at all board-run schools

-
Image
A Catholic school board in Ontario will vote next week on a motion to fly the rainbow-colored homosexual pride flag at all board-run schools during the month of June. Halton Catholic District School Board (HCDSB) Trustee Brenda Agnew gave notice of her motion titled “supporting our diverse school community” during an April 6 board meeting. Quoting Pope Francis along with LGBT talking points about “equity and inclusion,” the motion calls for the Board’s Director of Education Pat Daly to “direct all HCDSB schools including the Catholic Education Centre to fly the Pride flag during the month of June starting with 2021.” The motion is expected to be voted on by the Board at their next meeting on April 20. With nine trustees, the motion requires five votes to pass. A tied vote results in a fail. The HCDSB states on its website that its mission is to provide “excellence in Catholic education by developing Christ-centred individuals enabled to transform society.” The Catholic Church, basing i...
Read more

Christian baker must make ‘wedding’ bakes for gay couples, court rules

-
Image
DENVER, CO ,  – A Colorado board has ruled that a Christian business owner must make wedding cakes for homosexual "marriages" despite his religious objections. Business owner Jack Phillips came under legal fire in 2012, when he refused to bake a cake for Dave Mullins and Charlie Craig , who had traveled to Massachusetts for a marriage license, and wanted to celebrate in their home state. They sued on the basis of a state law that prevents the application of religious beliefs if one owns a business. The Commission's ruling, which was issued verbally on Friday, orders Phillips to report every three months for the next two years on anti-discrimination training for his staff, and any customers who are refused service at his establishment. "I can believe anything I want, but if I'm going to do business here, I'd ought to not discriminate against people," said one of the Civil Rights Commission 's seven members in a public statement. Phil...
Read more

Australia: Gay Hate tribunals are coming

-
Image
Are Hate Tribunals Are Coming In Canada , it is considered discriminatory to say that marriage is between a man and a woman or that every child should know and be raised by his or her biological married parents.  It is not just politically incorrect in Canada to say so; you can be saddled with tens of thousands of dollars in legal fees, fined, and forced to take sensitivity training. Anyone who is offended by something you have said or written can make a complaint to the Human Rights Commissions and Tribunals. In Canada, these organizations police speech, penalizing citizens for any expression deemed in opposition to particular sexual behaviors or protected groups identified under “sexual orientation.” It takes only one complaint against a person to be brought before the tribunal, costing the defendant tens of thousands of dollars in legal fees. The commissions have the power to enter private residences and remove all items pertinent to their investigations, checkin...
Read more