BREITKREUZ UPSET MANY PARLIAMENTARIANS DENIED FREE VOTE

OTTAWA – Garry Breitkreuz, Member of Parliament for Yorkton-Melville, today expressed his disappointment over a vote in Parliament pertaining to the reestablishment of the definition of marriage as that of one man and one woman.

“In a time and place where we pride ourselves on freedom of speech, I find it deplorable that both the NDP and Bloc Quebecois leaders order their members to vote along party lines,” said Breitkreuz. “By doing so, those parties have in fact told Canadians that their political parties policies take precedence over the values and beliefs of the very people who sent the Members to Ottawa.”

The Conservative motion introduced Tuesday, December 6, 2006, reads:

The motion was defeated during a Dec. 7, 2006 vote, 175 against to 123 in favour.

This is not the first time the traditional definition of marriage has been challenged in the House of Commons. In 1999, Breitkreuz was among 215 Members of Parliament to vote to uphold the definition of marriage as the union between one man and one woman to the exclusion of all others. At that time, members also voted to take all necessary action to ensure that definition stayed true. Among those voting in favour with Breitkreuz were former Liberal cabinet ministers including Paul Martin, Anne McLellan, Joe Volpe and Albina Guarnieri. In 2005, the then Liberal Government pushed through the change of the definition of marriage to include the union between two people of the same sex.

“During last election, the Conservative Party promised Canadians that this issue would be re-visited, and we have kept that promise,” said Breitkreuz. “What is misleading is that many Canadians believe that last week’s vote reflects the will of the country. Most Canadians would have voted ‘yes’ to this motion. It is hard to believe that so many elected representatives of this country are being forced to vote against their own beliefs.”

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