Canada Votes On Gay Marriage Again

GCN | NEWS UPDATE

CANADA VOTES ON GAY MARRIAGE (AGAIN)
12 October 2007
On Thursday, Canada's Parliament voted against a motion by the Conservative government to revisit debate on same-sex marriage, which was legalized in 2005 by the former Liberal government.

Legislators voted 175-123 against the motion, which was put forward by Prime Minister Stephen Harper. There was wide speculation that the motion would fall before the vote.

The motion called on the government "to introduce legislation to restore the traditional definition of marriage without affecting civil unions and while respecting existing same-sex marriages."

The law was passed by the previous Liberal government after a number of courts ruled that barring gay couples from marriage was unconstitutional.

Last year's vote was 158-133 in favour of the new law, but the Conservatives said it had not truly reflected the will of Parliament because the Liberals had forced cabinet ministers to vote in favour.

Both parties allowed their members to vote according to their consciences on Thursday.

Harper said after the vote that he would not look at the issue again. "I don't see (us) reopening this question ... It's not our plan," he told reporters.

Canada was the fourth country, after the Netherlands, Belgium and Spain, to legalize homosexual marriage. More than 12,000 gay couples across Canada have already wed since last year