U.S. campaign putting pressure on Canadian MPs over same-sex vote
Last Updated Thu, 10 Feb 2005 13:56:06 EST
OTTAWA – Some members of Parliament say they're getting pressure from their constituents, and from Americans, over the same-sex marriage legislation, currently before Parliament.
“They're phoning, they're sending e-mails and they're faxing,” said Liberal MP Beth Phinney. “It doesn't concern me, because I'm just going to listen, certainly just listen, to people in Canada and hopefully just listen to people in my riding,” she said. “I tell them it won't make a difference in my vote.”
Liberal MP Maria Minna has found some of her U.S. correspondence harder to ignore. “One letter said that if I voted for it, I would burn in hell.” Most of the U.S. pressure against same-sex marriage is a lot subtler. There's a postcard campaign, courtesy of an $80,000 contribution from the U.S. chapter of the Knights of Columbus.
“The United States, including the American government, I think is quite concerned at the drift that this country has taken in what I view as the wrong direction, and what millions of Canadians view as the wrong direction,” said Liberal MP Pat O'Brien.
“The Americans seem to feel everybody should look at life the way they do. More guns, no same-sex marriage, all that sort of thing,” said Ontario Liberal MP Bonnie Brown.
A spokesman for Canadians for Equal Marriage, an organization that supports passing the legislation, said his group can't compete with a campaign funded by American dollars.
“There's an attempt from the American religious right to hijack our debate, to dominate our debate,” said Alex Munter. “We have a Charter of Rights here and discrimination is unCanadian.” Munter's message is getting out at Famous Players theatres, which are airing a 10-second still slide before films that urge theatre patrons to contact their member of Parliament to say they support the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
The ad was bought on behalf of Canadians For Equal Marriage by Salah Bachir, a leader in Toronto's gay community and the head of Famous Players Media, the independent company that sells advertising space in Famous Players theatres and on its screens. The Canada Family Action Coalition is calling for a boycott of the theatre chain after getting complaints.
Justice Minister Irwin Cotler mused recently that he would try to curtail American input in the debate, but there is no law against an American citizen participating in a Canadian debate and Cotler has no plans to introduce one.
