Activist Doubts Canada MPs Will Pass Conservative Marriage Measure
by Chad Groening
April 12, 2005
(AgapePress) - As the debate over same-sex "marriage" rights wages in Canada, the co-founder of a Canadian pro-family organization says he does not think a recently proposed, conservative-sponsored amendment will pass Parliament.Brian Rushfeldt of the Canada Family Action Coalition says the conservative Member of Parliament sponsoring the measure was apparently trying to placate the liberal majority by offering what amounts to a compromise. The pro-family activist notes, "The amendment that Stephen Harper introduced was to amend [an earlier] liberal piece of legislation to say that marriage is defined as a man and woman exclusively."
But while the amendment would continue to define marriage traditionally, Rushfeldt points out that it would use the term civil unions "to give recognition to other social groupings." The measure is scheduled to come up for a vote in Parliament today (April 12), but he has doubts about its chances for success.
"I think that amendment will be defeated," the CFAC spokesman says, "because we've got some people, certainly, on the liberal side against it -- the ones who are very adamant that they want redefinition [of marriage to include] any two people will vote against that amendment."
On the other hand, Rushfeldt notes, "We have some of the social conservatives who are not pleased with giving recognition to civil unions either. Their comments are that that really is giving recognition and legitimacy to a form of relationship that we ought not to be doing."
CFAC is among the founding members of the defendMARRIAGE Coalition, an alliance of groups working to protect marriage from redefinition in Canada. Along with the Campaign Life Coalition, the Catholic Civil Rights League, and Real Women of Canada, CFAC is urging pro-family Canadians to express their values by calling, writing, or visiting their Members of Parliament.
According to a defendMARRIAGE statement, the ongoing liberal attempt to redefine marriage "does not reflect the vision the Fathers of Confederation had" for Canada and is not supported by the majority of Canadians.
Chad Groening, a regular contributor to AgapePress, is a reporter for American Family Radio News, which can be heard online.
