Same-Sex, Same Grit Hypocrisy
6-29-05
Even supporters of the same-sex marriage bill should be appalled at the sorry way it was passed last night.
Like a bunch of ill-behaved wedding crashers, our politicians have shamefully rushed what should have been a solemn, historic occasion so they could go on holiday.
But before Paul Martin and his Liberals head off on a summer-long orgy of congratulating themselves for their bold step in making Canada only the third country in the world to redefine marriage to include gay couples, let's get a few things (pardon the expression) straight:
The Liberals' legacy on this issue has not been one of leadership, but of craven flip-flops, politicking and lies.
Let's leave aside the fact that six years ago, they, along with every other party in the House, voted overwhelmingly to preserve the traditional definition of marriage as between a man and a woman. That was then; this is now.
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Now they say redefining marriage is an urgent matter of Charter rights. Except, that is, if they're worried about staying in power and passing their budget -- in which case they'll offer the Conservatives a deal to delay the marriage bill until fall, as they did just two weeks ago.
When a few dozen of their own members threatened to vote against the government, the Liberals promised a full and open debate. Last week, they even voted to keep the House sitting into summer to ensure all MPs were able have their say on this fundamentally important issue.
That is, until Monday, when they decided to arbitrarily cut off debate and force a vote -- thanks to the support of the Bloc Quebecois. Remember the Bloc? The dreaded separatists that Martin's Liberals denounced as dangerous when they were backing the Conservatives?
This law will always be stained with their hypocrisy.
That said, however, Stephen Harper's new charge that the separatists' support of the same-sex bill means it "lacks legitimacy" is simply bizarre. Harper never questioned the Bloc's "legitimacy" when it was helping his Conservatives oppose the Liberals. And while we're no fans of the Bloc, polls show the party's support of same-sex marriage is consistent with the views of most Quebecers (unlike its position on separatism). If anything, the Bloc -- which, unlike the NDP and Liberals, allowed its MPs to vote freely -- has behaved admirably on this issue.
Harper's attack is an ill-timed slap in the face to Quebec voters who've shut him out -- and another case of him drawing attention to his problems instead of Martin's.
As for his own principled opposition to same-sex marriage, a new poll indicates it hasn't helped Harper; even though Canadians remain deeply divided on the issue, they would still re-elect a Martin minority.
Given that, Harper should reconsider his vow to reopen the civil marriage legislation if he wins the next election and focus instead on protecting religious freedoms -- the next big battle looming on this frontier.
