Immigration Scam For Homosexuals

True to form, Minister of Immigration and Justice, Lucienne Robillard, announced changes in the Immigration Act in early January which included the recommendation that same-sex couples be admitted to Canada as "spouses." This, she explained, merely reflected "today's reality." At the same time, she acknowledged that this recommendation would be a challenge for the drafters of the legislation in determining the definition of a same-sex couple because in some cases, the couples were together "for convenience," in other words, for the purpose only of being able to live in Canada.

Unfortunately, any difficulty in implementing this provision is not going to stop Robillard from carrying out her plans. Immigration lawyers, consultants and lobbyists have applauded this and the other recommendations of Ms. Robillard -- no doubt, because they will lead to increased business for them.

It is noted that Ms Robillard dropped the controversial recommendation made by the Immigrant Legislative Review Advisory Group last year that would require that immigrants must speak either English or French. Immigration lobbyists, including ethnic based organizations, set up such a howl about this recommendation, that she backed down. Similarly, the homosexual lobby group led to her defining "spouses" to include same-sex couples.

You will recall, as outlined in Reality, January/February 1998 issue, p. 1, "Homosexuals Aided by Immigration Proposals," that the Immigration Legislative Review Advisory Group recommendation that same-sex couples be admitted as spouses was based, incredibly, on the decision of one dissenting judge in the Supreme Court of Canada in the 1994 Mossop case. The majority of judges in that case held that homosexual couples did not constitute a family!

What is going on here is that the Advisory Group's recommendation in this regard was nothing more than the personal bias of its 3 appointees. Moreover, REAL Women submitted a brief dated March 6, 1998 to the Minister of Immigration Robillard, which pointed out that, as a Minister of the Crown, she is required to follow the law on the definition of "spouse" as set out by the Supreme Court of Canada in the 1995 case of Nesbit and Egan. This decision held that since the heterosexual relationship is unique in its capacity to procreate and care for children's upbringing, that it is not discriminatory to give such a union special benefits. We also pointed out in our brief that because the definition of "spouse" is restricted to members of the opposite sex, reflects a long-standing tradition of the English and Canadian common law, as well as European law. This is consistent with the definition of "spouse" in over fifty federal statutes and hundreds of provincial statutes throughout Canada. Similarly, American courts and legislatures have continued to recognize the legal status of marriage and spousal relationships as uniquely heterosexual.

We also pointed out that all the world's major religions recognize that the concept of marriage and spouse should involve only the union of man and woman. This is a basic tenet of all the major religious communities which make up the multicultural heritage of Canada.

Moreover, all polls on the issue of same-sex benefits indicate that the majority of Canadians do not support granting same-sex benefits. The one exception is the Angus Reid poll of last October commissioned by the Justice Department. We all know that the results of polls depend on the questions asked, and even the uninitiated would recognize that this Justice poll skewed its questions, designed to obtain the desired results -- which widely differed from all other polls in Canada.

Ms. Robillard, therefore, is ignoring the law, the views of religious faiths, which form the basis of our society, and the views of the majority of the Canadian public in recommending that Canada's immigration law be amended to admit same-sex couples, as "spouses." What arrogance!

Ms. Robillard intends to undertake "public consultations" (read immigration lawyers, lobbyists and special interest groups), ending in March. She will then introduce legislation in the House of Commons later this year.

Please do not let her push Canadians around in this way. This is OUR country -- and OUR majority view that homosexual/lesbian couples do not constitute spouses, MUST prevail.

Please write to:

The Hon. Jean Chrétien

Office of the Prime Minister

80 Wellington Street, 2nd Floor

Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0A2

The Hon. Lucienne Robillard

Minister of Citizenship and Immigration

House of Commons

Room 107, Confederation Building

Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0A6

Your MP

House of Commons

Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0A6

Insist that the traditional definition of spouse, referring to a man and woman, be retained in our Immigration Act.

Copies of our brief on Immigration policy, submitted March 6, 1998, to the Department of Citizenship and Immigration, can be obtained from our head office. It would be appreciated if you could include with your request $3. to cover the cost of photocopying and postage. Thank you.

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