Mr. Speaker, I will confine my comments to Motion No. 10 which is on the floor at this time.
Previous speakers have very eloquently stated the unease that many Canadians, including myself, feel about this bill. It really strikes to the basic honesty of the position taken by the government in this bill.
If we are going to be debating, and if the debate is to be framed on putting same sex relationships on an equal footing as heterosexual relationships, then we should have the honesty to say so. That is how this debate should be framed.
To frame the debate around discrimination and say not just to members here but to all Canadians who feel uneasy and are against this that somehow they are discriminating against human beings who are gay is wrong. Not only is it wrong, it is insulting. Then to push this debate through the House with such unseemly haste when there are wise and considered arguments on both sides that should be heard by all Canadians so that all Canadians can consider these very important issues of relevance to the kind of society that we are, in my opinion is deceitful, dishonest and beneath the dignity of this House. I am embarrassed and I am ashamed.
I am embarrassed and I am ashamed by the way many witnesses were treated at the committee meetings. People came and as Canadians expected to have their voices heard with passion, with dignity, with some sense of solemnity for the occasion and the moment. This is their House of Commons. These are their committee meetings where people on both sides of the issue expect to be heard with dignity. To treat fellow Canadians like cattle in the rush to get this legislation through the House is beneath the dignity of all of us. At least I would hope it is beneath the dignity of all of us.
My specific amendments are based upon the amendments that were brought forward by the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops. Their amendments and the amendments I have brought forward would have one purpose which is to limit the scope of this bill to that which the justice minister has said this bill relates. There are two aspects: the human rights considerations and the justice considerations.
Canadians are virtually unanimous in saying they support the human rights aspects of the bill. They support the notion of prevention of discrimination. No Canadian should be discriminated against for any reason, including their sexual orientation.
On the other side of the coin are the people who say that the terms marriage, family, tradition have a place and a foundation in our society and we should not tread lightly upon these foundations, the building blocks of our society. If we are going to change the way we relate to each other, one to another, then for goodness sake let us do so honestly.
There are ways the issues of fairness and equity for our fellow citizens who are homosexual can be addressed. Those of us who are not homosexual but feel just as strongly that these issues need to be addressed for the sake of fairness feel they may be addressed through other measures such as a registered domestic partnership which need not threaten the traditional sanctity of family and marriage.
Thank you for allowing me these few introductory remarks. I would just caution this House that we and all Canadians not take lightly those with whom we do not agree. Even if we do not agree with them, their views do have merit and worth and should be treated with dignity and respect. If their views are unheard they will build tremendous resentment in the land.