Thursday, August 8, 2002

A story published today by National Post reports that Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chrétien announced yesterday that Canadians will be asked for their views on same-sex marriages, but refused to reveal his own feelings on the subject.

The Prime Minister and Martin Cauchon, the Justice Minister, said a public consultation will begin next month with the aim of coming to a speedy conclusion.

Mr. Chrétien described the debate over same-sex marriage as a "social problem" while keeping his personal thoughts under wraps.

"I want you to tell me yours and after that I will tell you [mine]. Because my views are one thing, but I'm the Prime Minister of Canada," he told reporters after a Cabinet meeting in Ottawa yesterday.

"I could decide tomorrow, but that's not the process."

Sources say possibilities under consideration by the government include: broadening the definition of marriage to cover same-sex couples, taking the government out of the marriage business and leaving it to the churches, or affirming marriage as an opposite-sex union while creating a parallel civil union for same-sex couples.

The Prime Minister defended the government's decision to appeal the ruling, which found the federal definition of marriage violates the Charter of Rights and Freedoms by denying same-sex couples the right to marry. The ruling gave the federal government two years to change its definition. Mr. Chrétien said the government often appeals court decisions and also rewrites laws after rulings by tribunals.

"When you look at the situation in France, they didn't change the definition of marriage, but they made the social contract that other provinces are making in Canada. So it's an extremely complex problem that needs study. So we're studying," he said.

Yesterday was the first Cabinet meeting since the government's decision to appeal the ruling, but Mr. Cauchon brushed off suggestions his colleagues are divided.

The government is appealing the decision because it believes the court "wasn't right in law."

"There is major legal concern and we have to keep going on that side, but also at the same time, as Justice Minister, I wanted to keep all options open," Mr. Cauchon said.

"I do believe it's a question of law, but it's a very important question of social issue."

Taking the issue to the Supreme Court is not a priority for the government, he said, because it is a decision that must be made by the government and Parliament. He also pointed out that the same Ontario tribunal that ruled against the federal definition of marriage had in fact supported the definition in a 1993 decision.