If you have a bit of time the opening statements on Bill C-38 by Prime Minister Martin and Leader of the Opposition Harper are quite fascinating. They are available online at CTV.ca. I thought that PM Martin laid out a compelling argument as to why Parliament should pass the bill but then MP Harper countered almost every argument. I plan to say more on this but on first listen the issue comes down to a single question, is same-sex marriage a fundamental human right or a social value? If we were to declare it a human right we would be the only country to do so. However, you can stand alone and still be right.
If SSM is indeed a social value we may still choose to implement it, as was done in the Netherlands and Belgium. On the other hand we may choose to use the term civil union, which if MP Harper is correct, is the case in the UK, France, Denmark and Sweden.
I have to think about this one some more.
