August 31, 2004

A Christian coalition spearheaded by hardline evangelists has drawn up a hitlist of 30 MPs that the coalition wants to pressure into voting against the government's proposed legislation allowing same-sex marriages.

But the motives of the group and its reasons for selecting the MPs came into question when Conservative MP John Herron, named on the list, disclosed he has already informed the coalition he intends to oppose the bill.

As well, many of the Liberal MPs on the list, including Justice Minister Martin Cauchon, who tabled the legislation, and eight other cabinet ministers, have already made it known they strongly support the measure and have no intention of changing their minds.

Charles McVety, president of the Canada Christian College, at first said he was unaware that Herron had already promised to vote against the bill. In an interview following the group's news conference, McVety said only that Herron's position was considered "soft."

Several MPs on the list vowed they will not change their minds and vote against the same-sex bill because of the group's pressure tactics, which include a plan to hold special prayers next Sunday at the riding offices of the MPs.

McVety claimed some of the MPs on the list were chosen because they won election narrowly in 2000.

"By desecrating the sacred institution of marriage and breaching trust, these members risk losing those narrow margins of victory," said McVety, who added some of the MPs on the list were on it also because they had responded "belligerently" to coalition attempts at communication. He declined to name them.

Winnipeg NDP MP Pat Martin, who had the lowest margin of victory among his party's MPs, angrily brushed off the pressure.

"Their threats will have no bearing on how I vote," he said. "You talk about an ethical issue, 52 per cent of the children in my riding live below the poverty line, and I've never had one person contact me about how immoral that is. If I should go down over such a petty issue, it pisses me off."

Martin said his position on same-sex marriage is "if you're opposed to same-sex marriages, don't marry someone from the same sex."

Liberal MP Bonnie Brown, who is on the list and has not yet staked out a position on the legislation but said Monday she will likely make her views known shortly after Parliament resumes in two weeks, said she believes right-wing Christian groups drafted the list in an attempt to build the same-sex marriage issue into a political wedge.

"My feeling is what's happening in Iraq, what's happening in Afghanistan, what's happening in Israel, plus this new push by the Americans to have this new missile defence system, it all has a lot more to do with the safety and the future of the world then this issue," said Brown.

Rondo Thomas, a minister and vice-president of the Canada Christian College, said the proposed legislation will allow incest and he predicted the government will eventually force religions to accept same-sex marriages. A provision of the bill, which the Supreme Court of Canada is expected to review next April before the government presents it to Parliament, allows churches discretion on performing same-sex ceremonies.

"As it stands, the proposal would allow me to marry my mother, my daughter, my sister or my granddaughter," said Thomas. "When we try to change God's laws, the end result has to be total anarchy."

The only Canadian Alliance MP on the list, B.C. MP Keith Martin, was included because his opposition to the legislation is also "soft," said McVety. Of the 30 MPs on the list, 22 represent Ontario ridings, while 27 are Liberals.

The evangelical leaders, including a spokesperson for a Quebec evangelical association and Michael Diotte, a spokesperson for the Canada Family Action Coalition, were also supported by REAL Women of Canada.