Senate approves same-sex legislation
CTV.ca News Staff
Canada's same-sex marriage bill could be signed into law as early as today after it receives royal assent.
The bill was passed by the Senate, 47-21, in a late-night vote Tuesday, a couple of days ahead of schedule. Three of the 95 sitting senators abstained.
Parliament passed Bill C-38 in late June ending years of heated debate.
Once it's signed into law, Canada will become the fourth country in the world to sanction same-sex marriage, following similar moves by Spain, the Netherlands and Belgium.
As the debate on the legislation dragged on, Liberal senators threatened to invoke closure and call a snap vote. But the debate ran its course with the last word coming from Liberal senator Ione Christensen who read an e-mail from a Yukon constituent.
"You have no idea what a difference it makes to the human spirit to know that you are treated equally under the law," Christensen said.
There was fierce opposition to the bill from the Conservative Party, religious groups, and even members of the government's own ranks.
Conservative Leader Stephen Harper has promised he won't let the issue rest. He says he'll bring back the same-sex marriage law for another vote if he becomes prime minister.
"There will be a chance to revisit this in a future Parliament," Harper said last month. "Our intention is to have a free vote."
In the Senate Tuesday, Conservative Senator Gerry St. Germain urged his fellow senators to let Canadians decide the fate of the legislation.
"Let's not pass this legislation now. Let's wait. Let's make (the election) a referendum on this bill," Germain said hours before the bill was passed.
Tory senators also introduced a motion to amend Bill C-38 to say that the traditional definition of marriage would be the union of a man and woman, but civil marriage would be the union of two people.
But the motion was dismissed as an unnecessary change.
Supporters of the bill were worried that if any changes were made the legislation could be scrubbed. That's because any amendments would have sent the bill back to the House of Commons for debate.
Among the provinces and territories, only Alberta had threatened to fight the new law. But even Premier Ralph Klein backed down on this last week.
"We will proceed to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples, much to our chagrin, following proclamation of the federal Civil Marriage Act," Klein said at a press conference.
Courts across the country have ruled in favour of same-sex marriage rights, and such ceremonies have become common in Ontario and B.C.
Four "hold-out" jurisdictions -- Alberta, Prince Edward Island, Nunavut and the Northwest Territories -- must now strike down their traditional marriage laws.