BACK TO TABLE OF CONTENTS

WHAT IS HAPPENING IN THE COMMITTE STUDYING SAME-SEX UNIONS

The Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights began hearing witnesses in Ottawa on same-sex unions as soon as Parliament resumed sitting at the end of January after the Christmas recess.

It heard approximately four groups or individuals a week - evenly distributed on both sides of the issue. On February 21st, 2003, the Committee was given permission to travel across the country between April 1st to April 30th to hear presentations from individuals in 11 other communities. They are as follows;

The cost of the Committee's travel across Canada to hear witnesses is $346,615. We understand there is a huge demand by the public to appear before the Committee throughout the country.

The Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights

REAL Women has been carefully monitoring the Committee hearings in Ottawa on same-sex unions. Without fail, the homosexual groups, including its official Ottawa-based lobby group, EGALE (Equality for Gays and Lesbians Everywhere), have based their arguments, as they have done before the courts, on their subjective "feelings" and "perceptions" of what the law should state, i.e. provide them with total "equality" rights which, they argue, includes the right to marry.

Marriage, however, is not a matter of "equality rights" which can be subject to change or amendment. The heterosexual nature of marriage cannot be changed. It has remained unaltered through thousands of years of recorded history. The heterosexual nature of marriage is, in fact, one of the great constants across time, culture and faith. This is due to the fact that marriage between a man and a woman is the foundation of all societies, and is necessary for the continuation of the human race.

To bolster their customary emotional approach, lacking in objective facts and studies. EGALE's brief, for example, was replete with photographs of so-called "loving" same-sex families, meant to tug at the heart-strings. Certainly, there was not much in its brief that would appeal to either the intellect or common sense. Further, most of the advocates for same-sex unions smugly stated during their presentations that it did not much matter what the Committee finally decided, as the courts were on their side, and would give them married status anyway!

On the other hand, briefs in support of heterosexual marriage were supported by hard facts, studies and statistics.

The Committee Members

The two NDP MPs on the Committee, two Bloc Quebecois members and some of the Liberal members, such as Hedy Fry, (Vancouver Central - she, of the burning crosses) and Marlene Jennings, (Notre-Dame-de-Grace--Lachine, Quebec), have made it clear that they fully support same-sex unions. Hedy Fry was even overheard murmuring to some same-sex witnesses that testimony in support of heterosexual marriage "comes perilously close to hate" as though defending marriage between a man and a woman can in the real world be considered "hateful." The comments by Ms. Fry portray her state of mind, not that of the witnesses.

The four Alliance members and some of the Liberal MPs on the Committee are in support of heterosexual marriage. Two Liberal MPs, however, John Maloney (Erie - Lincoln) and Paul Harold Macklin (Northumberland), have said little at the Committee hearings and they may well be the swing votes. It is certain that the recommendation that the Committee makes to Mr. Cauchon, Minister of Justice, will be the result of a very close vote.

It is crucial that we write to the individual Justice Committee members. They are as follows:

Chair:
The Hon. Andy Scott (Lib., Fredericton)
Vice Chairs:
Chuck Cadman (CA, Surrey North)
John McKay (Lib., Scarborough East)
Members:
Garry Breitkreuz (CA, Yorkton - Melville)
Irwin Cotler (Lib., Mount Royal)
The Hon. Hedy Fry (Lib., Vancouver Centre)
Marlene Jennings (Lib., Notre-Dame-de-Grâce)
Robert Lanctöt (BQ, Châteauguay). (He rarely attends but is substituted by homosexual Réal Ménard PQ, Hochela-Maisonneuve)
Derek Lee (Lib., Scarborough - Rouge River)
Peter MacKay (PC, Pictou/Antigonish/Guysborough NS)
Paul Harold Macklin (Lib., Northumberland)
John Maloney (Lib., Erie Lincoln)
Richard Marceau (BQ, Charlesbourg - Jacques-Cartier)
Lorne Nystrom (NDP, Regina - Qu'Apelle). (He rarely attends but is substituted by homosexual Svend Robinson NDP, Burnaby - Douglas.)
Pat O'Brien, (Lib., London - Fanshawe)
Joe Peschisolido (Lib., Richmond)
Kevin Sorenson (CA, Crowfoot)
Vic Toews (CA, Provencher)

The Committee is to submit its recommendation to the Minister at the end of April 2003.

Please write to the Committee members urging them, in reasonable language, to support traditional heterosexual marriage. The MPs' address is as follows:

c/o House of Commons
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0A6

BACK TO TABLE OF CONTENTS