Same-sex vote `too close to call' (Canada)

[Harper_is_Bush]

Same-sex vote `too close to call'
Feb. 4, 2006. 01:00 AM
OTTAWA BUREAU

OTTAWA—When it comes time for MPs to vote — again — on same-sex marriage, exactly how the numbers will fall in the House of Commons remains unclear.

In June, Bill C-38, which legalized same-sex marriage in Canada, passed in the House by a vote of 158 to 133.

Following the Jan. 23 election, the Commons will include 117 MPs who supported the bill and 114 who did not. There are 68 new MPs, of whom 38 are Conservatives, 7 are Liberals, 10 are Bloc Québécois, 12 are New Democrats and one is an independent.

Nobody's sure how those 68 MPs will vote when Stephen Harper's government introduces a motion that will ask MPs in a free vote if they wish to reopen the same-sex marriage debate. If that motion passes, the legislation itself will be put to a free vote in the Commons.

"We have some idea of what's going on, but ... it's still too close to call," said Laurie Arron, director of advocacy for Egale, a group that fights for equal rights for gays and lesbians.

http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1139007014167&call_pageid=968332188774&col=968350116467

I don't think there's much danger of it. The assumption here is that all of the MP's who didn't support the same sex marriage bill in the past will continue to vote in that way...but a lot has happened since then.

Harper has said he will allow a free vote and that it will be soon, and I for one cannot wait.

[Harper_is_Bush]

1. kickin' n/t

[kevinbgoode]

2. What do you think will happen?

I thought most Canadians wanted this issue closed.

[joeybee12]

3. I gatehr that re-opening the issue wouldn't be good for Harper...he and

his cronies ran their campaigns without mentioning this issue, because they know Canadians would vote against them if their true views were known. He'd like it to all go away.

[sui generis]

4. It needs to be addressed -

they have more than enough rope to hang themselves with.

There is no reason why you can't be fiscally conservative and socially liberal, but for some reason "conservative" now means "social conservative", exclusively. Whenever I hear "conservative" I think "bigot", and nothing else.

[xchrom]

5. i can only hope they receive a black eye for this.