Monday, February 28, 2005
CITIZENS OF ONTARIO ARE NOW GENDER-NEUTRAL
LifeSite reports:
TORONTO, February 24, 2005 (LifeSiteNews.com) – At Approximately 5 p.m. today the Ontario Legislature passed, by voice vote only, Bill 171, which further enshrines same-sex marriage in Ontario law. Premier Dalton McGuinty proposed the move to change 73 provincial statutes, to introduce gender-neutral language that otherwise refers to wives and husbands.
Progressive Conservative MPPs Bill Murdoch and Frank Klees spoke against the bill and made strong appeals to other members of the Legislature to join them in standing immediately after the voice vote to request a recorded vote. Legislature rules are that only five members need stand for a recorded vote to be taken.
The voice vote appeared to indicate a significant number of Members opposed the bill. However, only PC MPP Jerry Oellette had the courage to stand with Klees and Murdoch to request that Ontario citizens be allowed to know how their MPP’s voted on the historic bill. Many citizens had called their MPPs insisting that a recorded vote be taken.
No two other members from any of the parties dared to defy the pre-arranged all-party collusion to withhold the individual members’ vote on the bill from the public. The bill was rammed through from introduction to final passage in only three days, with no significant debate and no opportunity for public input.
Thanks to a reader for sending in the link.
