December 09,  2004

Courts rule that federal law should

change to include same-sex marriage

( Ottawa )  Today the Supreme Court of Canada released its opinion on draft legislation from the Liberal Government to legalize same sex marriage across Canada .

Conservative M.P. Inky Mark explained, “The Court said that in its opinion, the federal government has the sole jurisdiction to legislate the civil definition of marriage; that the legal definition should be expanded to include same sex marriage; and that churches are protected under the Charter of Rights to choose whether or not they will perform same sex marriages.”

“Simply put, this issue rests with Parliament – it is a matter to be decided by elected representatives and that churches and other religious bodies will retain the right to maintain the tradition definition of marriage as that of a union between one man and one woman.”

The court declined to comment on whether or not the traditional definition of marriage is unconstitutional. 

“Same sex couples would not be discriminated socially or economically under the status of a civil union.  For me nothing has changed.  I will continue to support the majority of my constituents and vote to preserve the traditional definition of marriage as the union of one man and one woman,” Mark concluded.