7/30/2019 2004 Pro-Life MP Opposes Same Sex Marriage

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Saskatoon:

Unit 3, 844-51st St. EastSaskatoon, SK S7K 5C7Tel (306) 975-4725Toll !ee (888) 844-8886"a# (306) 975-4728$ella%ott.&'sa*link.%a

Ottawa:

S+ite 610, +sti%e l/.o+se o Co&&onstta*a, K1 06Tel (613) 992-1899"a# (613) 992-3085ella%ott.'a!l./%.%a***.&a+!i%e$ella%ott.%a

USE " CSC

Maurice Vellacott, MP

Saskatoon-Wanuskewin

Saskatchewan NDP government decision

to fire commissioners violates human rights

For Immediate Release December 10, 00!

"##$%$ Conservative Party MP Maurice Vellacott (Saskatoon-Wanuskewin) says that yesterdays Supree

Court opinion on the sae-se! arria"e re#erence has cleared the way #or the Saskatchewan "overnent to rescind

a directive orderin" all arria"e coissioners in the province to arry sae-se! couples or resi"n$

%&n li"ht o# this decision, it is now clear that the directive 'y the Saskatchewan "overnent to #orce arria"e

coissioners to per#or sae-se! arria"e cereonies is not reuired 'y the Charter o# i"hts and *reedos,+

said Vellacott$ %s a conseuence, it is also clear that the overnent o# Saskatchewan is in violation o# not only

the reli"ious #reedos enshrined 'y the Charter, 'ut also in violation o# the provisions o# Saskatchewans .uan

i"hts Code$+

Vellacott raised the dilea #acin" Saskatchewans arria"e coissioners in the .ouse o# Coons /hursday,

askin" the #ederal 0ustice Minister to intervene to protect the reli"ion and conscience ri"hts o# the provinces

arria"e coissioners$

&n response, 0ustice Minister &rwin Cotler opposed discriination a"ainst arria"e coissioners who re#use to

per#or sae-se! arria"es #or reasons o# reli"ious 'elie# and conscience$ .e said1

/he 2ud"ent is clear that no o##icial should 'e copelled to per#or a sae-se! arria"e i# it is

contrary to reli"ion or conscience$ We will take this up at the #ederal-provincial-territorial

con#erence in order to ensure that provincial le"islation is in line with the #ederal and provincial

coitents under the charter$

/he 2ud"ent o# the Supree Court o# Canada delivered yesterday has le#t the decision o# whether to le"ali3e

sae-se! arria"e up to Parliaent$ 4o le"islation has yet 'een passed 'y Parliaent in that respect$ *urtherore,

the Court re#used to declare the traditional, opposite-se! de#inition o# arria"e unconstitutional$ Vellacott noted,%/he Supree Court has cate"orically re2ected the ar"uent that sae-se! arria"e is a #undaental huan ri"ht$+

Vellacott had previously asked Saskatchewan 0ustice Minister *rank 5uennell (as attached) to review the directive

in order to protect the reli"ion and conscience ri"hts o# Saskatchewans arria"e coissioners$ %& trust that the

46P "overnent will re-evaluate its treatent o# these pu'lic o##icials and desist #ro work-place discriination

a"ainst arria"e coissioners with reli"ious convictions$+

& '0 &

For further comment, call (aurice )ellacott at *+1' --.1/--