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Canada's
Government Toppled
by Ben
Thompson, 365Gay.com
From the
Web, November 29, 2005
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Ottawa, Nov. 28 -- Canada's
three opposition parties toppled the 17 month old government of Prime Minister
Paul Martin Monday night, throwing the country into a January election.
The campaign is expected to be the nastiest and possibly most expensive election
in Canadian history with same-sex marriage once more being an issue.
Passage of Canada's national gay marriage law was one of the few successes
the Martin government has had. The legislation became law in July
despite fierce opposition in Parliament by Conservatives.
Conservative leader Stephen Harper has vowed to bring in legislation to repeal
the marriage act if his party forms the next government.
Although he has said he would not use a rider in the Canadian Constitution
allowing a government to opt out of any single provision in the Charter of
Rights most legal experts say that would be the only way to overturn the law.
The procedure has never been used by a federal government.
Short of an absolute majority government it is unlikely that any attempt to
overturn the law would succeed. Both smaller opposition parties, the
New Democrats and the Bloc Quebecois, support the law, along with most Liberals.
Nevertheless, the marriage issue is seen as an election issue by both
Liberals and Conservatives.
For Harper it is a means of rallying his conservative base.
For Martin's Liberals it is a chance of coloring the Tories as bigots who would
weaken the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
It was a tactic that worked well in the last election leading up to the marriage
vote in Parliament.
With the Conservatives ahead in the public opinion polls, Liberals resorted to
negative ads accusing Harper of endangering the protections of all minorities.
The tactic worked but handed Martin only a minority government.
This time, public opinion polls show the Liberals likely to win another
minority, but pollsters point out that anything can happen in an election
campaign.
While same-sex marriage is likely to play a role in the campaign, the major
issue for the Conservatives will be scandals which have plagued 12 years of
Liberal governments. Liberals are expected to rely on their strong
economic record.
(Emphasis Added)
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