Madam Speaker, it will be necessary for me to deal in general terms with many of the motions that have been presented to amend Bill C-33.
For effective learning and for a better analysis of what Bill C-33 really implies, it would be necessary for me to repeat quite a few of the facts and some of the concepts.
It is with inner strength and conviction that I speak about Bill C-33, the government's commitment to amend the Canadian Human Rights Act. The act clearly states that it is against the law to discriminate on the basis of race, colour, religion, age, sex, marital status and disability.
The bill where we are adding two more words to the list is in essence a fulfilment of a resolution passed by the Liberal Party at its 1994 biennial policy convention. This resolution represents a longstanding policy of the Liberal Party dating back to at least 1978.
In January 1994 the Minister of Justice indicated during a response to the government's first throne speech that amendments to the Canadian Human Rights Act were to come. Specifically he stated: "In the throne speech the Prime Minister's commitment made during the election campaign was renewed. We shall introduce amendments to the Canadian Human Rights Act. These amendments, among other things, will include sexual orientation as a ground upon which discrimination is prohibited".
This House has been attempting to implement this principle since 1986. Ensuing governments since that time have also expressed intentions to introduce this amendment. Bill C-33 will finally accomplish that.
What most people do not realize is that this bill will do what eight other Canadian provinces or territories have already done. Every province and territory has a separate human rights act, such as those found in Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, British Columbia, Saskatchewan and Yukon. This bill will also bring us in line with court decisions and with an all-party parliamentary subcommittee report from 1985 which recognized that gays and lesbians merit equal protection under the law.
Just what is it that this amendment is advocating? Primarily this amendment seeks to allow someone who has been fired from their job or denied a service by a federal business because of their sexual orientation to file a complaint of discrimination. By federal business I am referring to any company, public or private, which is regulated by federal laws, rules and regulations, such as banks, railways, airlines and telecommunications companies, plus all federal employees.
Clearly this is a question of fundamental fairness and justice, fairness and justice for approximately 10 per cent of the Canadian workforce. What about the other 90 per cent? I repeat, the vast majority of the remaining workforce is covered by provincial and territorial legislation.
The Reform Party would have Canadians believe that this bill detracts from the importance Canadians place on strong, healthy families in our society. This is absolutely and completely false. The fact is that this government has, is and always will protect, maintain and introduce legislation that places the traditional family as the very basis of our society. A strong, healthy family unit is created through the loving relationships among all members of that family unit.
In our family my loving wife and I have taught our children and grandchildren that Christian values are to be used as guiding principles in relationships with all groups and individuals. They are not to be used only with a selected few. How can one be a good Christian by selecting a few and rejecting others because of their differences?
This amendment will have absolutely no bearing on the definitions of marriage, family or spouse. In fact, similar legislation at the provincial level has never had any bearing on issues of same sex benefits. These are the facts, whether the Reform Party likes it or not. Marriage is a provincial issue, not federal. Adoption is a provincial issue, not federal. That is where they shall remain.
It was a very sad occasion last week when the hon. member for Nanaimo-Cowichan made discriminatory statements regarding gays and visible minorities. It is truly unfortunate that members of the Canadian Parliament in this day and age subscribe to such a despicable belief. However, he is not alone. Let me share some of my recent experiences from my riding of Thunder Bay-Atikokan.
In the past two weeks approximately 40 phone calls have been received by me and my office staff. We received most of them in the last two days, after people had attended church. Every time I managed to get one of the phone calls I asked the person: "Why are you asking me to vote against this amendment?" They always had reasons: "It is going to allow same sex marriages". I had to explain to them that they were wrong. "It is going to lead to the adoption of infants". I had to explain to them that what they were told and what they were saying was not true.
The calls established three categories. When I had a chance to explain what Bill C-33 was all about a very large percentage of the people accepted my position. They accepted what it was all about. They were happy and no longer distressed and uncomfortable. A smaller group did not want to discuss the matter with me on the telephone and asked that material be sent to them. We shipped material off to their homes.
However, there was a small, small group, four in total, no more, who frightened me because of the kind of things they said. They made threats and declarations about what should be done to people who are so different from them, that they should be taken out of the city limits and stoned. They also talked about the leeches in our society, those who suck the treasury dry and said that they should be treated the same way.
At that moment, I knew there were no options for me. I knew I had only one avenue to follow, which was to support Bill C-33. I had to make sure that as long as there were neo-Nazis in our community advocating what they said to me, members of Parliament must do everything to adhere to our mandate to protect the citizens of this country no matter what their differences might be.
Canadians do not approve of discrimination based on sexual preference. A 1994 Angus Reid poll supported this, indicating that 81 per cent of those surveyed would be bothered if a gay or lesbian colleague experienced discrimination in the workplace.
In conclusion, I take pride that our government has done more to support equal rights for all our citizens within our first two years in power than the previous government did in almost a decade.
Bill C-33 is delivering justice to all Canadians. I commend the minister and this government for strength of resolve. I ask Canadians of every ethnic background and every religious faith to celebrate their differences-