Madam Speaker, I am pleased to speak to Bill C-23, the modernization of benefits and obligations act. I support this piece of legislation and I am happy that as a member of parliament I have the opportunity to outline my reasons, although it is just under the wire with closure.
The bill is not attempting to change anyone's beliefs. It is not trying to impose a moral structure on society. This piece of legislation is striving to address a financial inequality in Canada. Federal benefits and obligations for same sex couples will be on equal footing with those of heterosexual common law couples. As the courts have ruled, they should be.
The courts have said that it is unconstitutional for same sex couples to be treated differently than heterosexual ones when it comes to benefits and obligations. Since 1995 sexual orientation has fallen under section 7 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. The bill has that very much in mind and will ensure justice and fairness for same sex couples.
Marriage will not change after the bill is given royal assent. Marriage has traditionally been the union of one man and one woman. That remains unchanged in the bill. Further, the bill is non-religious and does not attempt to change or alter anyone's beliefs.
I do not have a problem with the bill per se, but I do have reservations, several for that matter. My reservations have to do with the timing of the legislation. The fact that it was tabled on February 11 was no accident. The timing is part of an orchestrated plan of the Liberals. Allow me to explain.
The Prime Minister and other members of cabinet stand in the House on a regular basis and vent about how strong the economy is. The unemployment rate is at its lowest rate in years, they say. The deficit is eliminated, so we are told. Interest rates are low. Inflation is a thing of the past. Parts of the economy are thriving, not because of Liberal policies but due to policies of the previous government.
In any case, not all is well in our glorious land. Health care is sorely underfunded. Our refugee and immigration systems are broken and in need of repair. We hear daily about the problems at HRDC. Any government would want the public to forget about a billion dollar boondoggle.
The Prime Minister was first elected to the House in 1963. He was present in the House when gay rights were debated and he knows full well the ire, emotion and controversy that such a discussion entails among Canadians. He was present in the House, for example, in 1969 when homosexual acts between consenting adults were decriminalized.
The legislation is introduced at this time not because of a genuine desire for fairness and equality by the Liberals, not because of a desire to uphold a supreme court ruling, but rather to deflect public scrutiny from other governmental issues. What better way to do that than to introduce legislation guaranteeing rights for gays and lesbians?
We live in a liberal democracy where the rights of everyone are respected and upheld. That is the purpose of the bill, but it is shameful that the government is introducing it now when there are other pressing issues like HRDC, health care, education, immigration and national defence. It is sad that the government uses such an important issue as equality to deflect attention from government controversies. It is also sad that the government again uses time allocation to stifle debate.
Many hon. members have talked about marriage and spouse. The bill has no reference to marriage or spouse. It is a technical bill dealing with economic and legal rights. I agree with other hon. members that the bill should have been clearer about the definitions of marriage and spouse, the union between a man and a woman to the exclusion of all others.
Another issue that is not dealt with is economic dependency. We are missing the boat. We all know family members or friends who have to live together to survive. Why were these items not dealt with? What was the rush?