Harper's delay tactics not what Canadians want nor expect
A poll completed by environics says Canadians want MP's to vote on same-sex marriage now. It has been going on now for over two years and the time has come to settle the issue. Harper and the Conservatives are trying to delay the bill, using every stall tactic they can to stop the bill from being voted upon. The next vote is scheduled for next week. If the Conservatives stall tactics are successful, they could push back that vote.
Harper's motion to kill the bill failed today in Parliament by a vote of 164 to 132. The four Conservatives that support same-sex marriage voted against Harper's motion.
See the release below from Canadians for Equal-Marriage
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Apr 12, 2005
Canadians – including most Tories - overwhelmingly reject Harper’s plan to filibuster equal marriage bill
OTTAWA – A striking 76-percent of Canadians are sending a stern message to Tory Leader Stephen Harper: it’s time for Parliament to finally vote on the equal marriage bill.
The data is part of an independently commissioned poll released today at a press conference in Ottawa by Canadians for Equal Marriage (CEM).
The poll, conducted by Environics Research Group, asked Canadians across the country whether or not they feel there has been enough discussion of the issue of same sex marriage. Three quarters of respondents indicated that not only has there been enough debate, but it’s time for a vote. And those numbers are consistent in every region, every age group, every religion and every political party.
“Stephen Harper is clearly out of step with Canadians. He’s also out of step with Conservative Party voters – 70 per cent say it’s time to move on to other issues,” said Alex Munter, spokesperson for CEM. “There is not a single, undecided MP in this House of Commons and very few undecided Canadians. Voters expect MPs to settle this issue and focus on the many other pressing issues in the country.”
Yet undaunted, the Tory leader is poised to filibuster the government legislation by triggering yet another debate on the bill even if, later today, MPs vote down his plan to exclude lesbian and gay Canadians from the protection of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
MPs have been debating equal marriage for nearly two years, ever since it became legal in Canada. After holding cross-country hearings in 2003, the Commons Justice Committee voted in support of equality. In September of that year, the Commons rejected a Canadian Alliance motion to use the notwithstanding clause to trump the Charter of Rights. The issue was debated during the 2004 election and again in the Commons after the bill was tabled February 1.
Two thousand and twenty two Canadians from across the country were surveyed for this poll. DETAILED SURVEY BREAKDOWN AVAILABLE HERE
4 comments:
Why do 76% of Cdns. want MPs to vote on same sex marriage NOW? Because they just want the issue to go away, they are tired to death of it. It can't be interpreted as support for same-sex marriage; that support is under 50%.
Support is near 50% for same-sex marriage. The issue is that Harper is intent on dragging this issue out. Canadians are saying the courts have spoken, two years has gone by, we have had enough debate, VOTE on it.
Harper is out of touch!
Rick... suppose the government is going to fall, Martin knows that the Opposition is going to bring down the government. What if he wanted to avoid an election and went to the Governor General and requested that the Conservatives become the (minority) government? I think this is possible and has happened before??? Do you know?
Martin could go to the GG and state he has lost confidence of the house and then ask for an election. The GG could refuse ans request Harper or someone else attempt to put together a government.
That is a very iffy thing to try. You don't know what the GG will do.
It has not happened in Canada before but remains the GG's option. The key is how likely is it Harper could form a government, The Bloc and NDP would not support them.
The next issue will be if the GG thinks Canadians want an election or don't. It is likely that once we get passed June she would be less likely to allow the house to continue and would desolve Parliament and we would be off to an election.
The Liberals really have only a couple of windows for an election. June of this year or Mid September. The latter date may prove beneficial for the Liberals as we would all have had the summer off and would not likely be talking about Gomrey.
The key for Martin is to have the government fall before the Gomery report is out in early fall.
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