marriage

Friday May 11, 2012

By Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator, Friday May 11, 2012

Joe Biden apologizes to Obama over gay marriage

After nearly single-handedly pushing gay marriage to the forefront of the U.S. presidential campaign and inadvertently pressuring President Barack Obama to declare his support for same-sex unions, there was only one thing left for Vice-President Joe Biden to do: apologize.

Biden’s apology came Wednesday in the Oval Office, shortly before the president sat for a hastily arranged interview in which he told the American people that he now supported gay marriage.

The vice-president expressed remorse and regret for declaring his support for same-sex unions ahead of Obama, said a person familiar with the exchange, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the private conversation. Obama accepted the apology, saying he knew Biden had only been speaking from the heart.

Biden’s apology followed days of frustration in the West Wing after the vice-president went off script, something he had done plenty of times. Without White House approval, Biden declared on a Sunday talk show that he was “absolutely comfortable” with same-sex married couples having the same rights as heterosexual married couples.

Usually Obama can swat away Biden’s free-wheeling ways. But not this time.

Biden’s remarks focused a fresh spotlight on what Obama had vaguely referred to as “evolving” views on gay marriage.

What few people outside of Obama’s inner circle of six or seven close aides knew at the time was that the president had, in fact, finished that evolution months earlier and was waiting for a suitable opportunity to inform the public of his views. (Source: Ottawa Citizen)

 

Friday January 13, 2012

By Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator, Friday January 13, 2012 Conservatives suggest divorce law could be revised The federal Conservative government suggested Thursday it will revisit the federal divorce law to see how to more easily dissolve the same-sex marriages of couples who married here but cannot get a divorce abroad. Justice Minister Rob Nicholson tried to defuse a growing controversy with a potentially wide-ranging gambit. It was unclear if the government would also ease residency requirements for divorce for all couples, or would just move to address the need of couples who canÕt end their Canadian same-sex marriages abroad. The move came after revelations that a senior counsel for the federal justice department had opposed a same-sex divorce by arguing firstly that same-sex marriages performed in Canada arenÕt Òlegally validÓ unless also recognized by a coupleÕs home country or state. Lawyer Sean Gaudet argued secondly that the couple Ñ who married in Toronto in December 2005 and separated two years ago Ñ didnÕt meet CanadaÕs one-year residency requirement (that all couples face) for a divorce. One lives in Florida, the other in the U.K. It was his first argument that caused a firestorm of public reaction on news websites, and led to charges by opposition critics the government was moving to undo same-sex marriage Òby stealth,Ó as Liberal interim leader Bob Rae put it. The revelations in a Globe and Mail story blindsided the Prime Minister at a news conference in Halifax. Stephen Harper said it was news to him and muttered he was not interested in re-opening the gay marriage debate. Ê(Source: Toronto Star)Êhttp://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2012/01/12/conservatives_suggest_divorce_law_could_be_revised_to_help_samesex_couples.html Letters: http://mackaycartoons.blogdrive.com/archive/272.html Stephen Harper, Canada, Same sex, gay, marriage, can, worms, union, legal, conservative

By Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator, Friday January 13, 2012

Conservatives suggest divorce law could be revised

The federal Conservative government suggested Thursday it will revisit the federal divorce law to see how to more easily dissolve the same-sex marriages of couples who married here but cannot get a divorce abroad.

Justice Minister Rob Nicholson tried to defuse a growing controversy with a potentially wide-ranging gambit.

It was unclear if the government would also ease residency requirements for divorce for all couples, or would just move to address the need of couples who can’t end their Canadian same-sex marriages abroad.

StephenHarperCartoonGallery-sm

2011-2015

The move came after revelations that a senior counsel for the federal justice department had opposed a same-sex divorce by arguing firstly that same-sex marriages performed in Canada aren’t “legally valid” unless also recognized by a couple’s home country or state.

Lawyer Sean Gaudet argued secondly that the couple — who married in Toronto in December 2005 and separated two years ago — didn’t meet Canada’s one-year residency requirement (that all couples face) for a divorce. One lives in Florida, the other in the U.K.

It was his first argument that caused a firestorm of public reaction on news websites, and led to charges by opposition critics the government was moving to undo same-sex marriage “by stealth,” as Liberal interim leader Bob Rae put it.

The revelations in a Globe and Mail story blindsided the Prime Minister at a news conference in Halifax.

Stephen Harper said it was news to him and muttered he was not interested in re-opening the gay marriage debate.  (Source: Toronto Star)

Letters to the editor.

 

Friday December 8, 2006

Friday December 8, 2006 PM: Same-sex issue closed The last major threat to same-sex marriage rights in Canada was soundly defeated in the House of Commons today, with MPs sending the message that they donÕt want to revisit the emotional, divisive debate. Prime Minister Stephen Harper said he heard the message and will respect it. ÒWe made a promise to have a free vote on this issue, we kept that promise, and obviously the vote was decisive and obviously weÕll accept the democratic result of the peopleÕs representatives,Ó Harper said. The question put to MPs was whether they wanted to see legislation drafted to reinstate the traditional definition of marriage, while respecting the existing marriages of gays and lesbians. That Conservative motion failed 175-123. In the tense Commons, MPs watched each other carefully to see how the other would vote. Some Liberals cheered as prominent Tories voted to let sleeping dogs lie. Some Conservatives applauded Liberals who did the opposite. (Source: Hamilton Spectator) Canada, same-sex marriage, gay marriage, civil union, marriage, dinosaur

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Friday December 8, 2006

PM: Same-sex issue closed

The last major threat to same-sex marriage rights in Canada was soundly defeated in the House of Commons today, with MPs sending the message that they don’t want to revisit the emotional, divisive debate.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper said he heard the message and will respect it.

“We made a promise to have a free vote on this issue, we kept that promise, and obviously the vote was decisive and obviously we’ll accept the democratic result of the people’s representatives,” Harper said.

The question put to MPs was whether they wanted to see legislation drafted to reinstate the traditional definition of marriage, while respecting the existing marriages of gays and lesbians.

That Conservative motion failed 175-123.

In the tense Commons, MPs watched each other carefully to see how the other would vote. Some Liberals cheered as prominent Tories voted to let sleeping dogs lie. Some Conservatives applauded Liberals who did the opposite. (Source: Hamilton Spectator)