NEWS RELEASE

June 14, 1996For Immediate Release

LIBERALS DECEIVED CANADIANS ABOUT IMPACT OF SEXUAL ORIENTATION BILL

"PCs gave common-law couples spousal benefits and opened the door for ruling on same-sex couples."

Yorkton - Garry Breitkreuz, MP for Yorkton-Melville, was disappointed that Justice Minister Allan Rock was not honest with the Canadian people during the debate of the Sexual Orientation bill (C-33). "Mr. Rock has done a disservice to the reputation of all politicians by saying things in the House of Commons he knew were just not true. It's amazing that the real truth was exposed so soon after the Liberals rammed Bill C-33 through the House," said Breitkreuz. Bill C-33 added "sexual orientation" to the long list of prohibited categories for discrimination to the Canadian Human Rights Act.

Yesterday, a Canadian Human Rights Tribunal rules the government must provide the same medical, dental and other benefits to same-sex couples as it give opposite-sex couples living in common law relationships. On April 30th, Justice Minister Allan Rock, speaking in support of Bill C-33 said, "Let us treat for a moment that which this amendment is not. It does not deal with the conferral of benefits on any class or category of persons. It does not confer benefits on same-sex couples. It does not confer benefits on homosexual individuals."

"Now that benefits have been conferred to same-sex couples, how can the Minister defend his misleading statements to the Canadian people in the House of Commons?" asked Breitkreuz. "Rock didn't have the guts to put his real agenda before the Parliament. He fears real democracy by allowing an unelected and unaccountable tribunal to set government policy."

"Unfortunately, the real mistake which allowed this ruling was made by the Conservatives in 1993 when they amended the Income Tax Act and required common law couples to be treated the same as legally married couples. This was the first blow to the institution of marriage. I think the PCs knew that their amendment would eventually lead to the ruling we got yesterday. This proves to me that it doesn't matter whether we elect Liberals or Conservatives -- we always get the same government."

At the recent Reform Party Assembly in Vancouver the members adopted a new party policy by a 93% majority vote: "The Reform Party supports that a family should be defined as those individuals related by the ties of blood, marriage or adoption, and marriage is the union between a man and a woman as recognized by the state."

"I believe the institution of marriage deserves the highest honour that our society and government can bestow upon it. To me, marriage should not be defined in our laws as any couple who shack-up together for a year. Marriage should be defined as a man and woman who make a life-long commitment to each other in a legal ceremony which is officially recognized by the province in which they live. I will do everything in my power to re-establish respect for the institution of marriage in Canadian law," promised Breitkreuz.

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For more information please call:

The Office of Garry Breitkreuz, M.P.

Yorkton: (306) 782-3309

Ottawa: (613) 992-4394