Mr. Speaker, I recognize the passion of that member of Parliament. He is a new member to the House and celebrating his first anniversary.
Considering the comments he has made about the hon. member for Mississauga South, he is definitely mistaken about the integrity of that individual and the integrity of all members on this side. The member knows full well that many of us on this side have taken unpopular positions with our own party in the past. Many of us have suffered consequences such as being thrown off committees. Many of us have continued to fight for what we believe is right.
The opposition members believe in politicizing this issue. If they have any credibility on this issue, it is that they would wrest this issue of marriage to what it is, something that is above partisan consideration.
The member talks about choice. Members of the House make choices each and every day. They represent their constituents, they represent their own values and they represent their own will as expressed by the many constituents who have supported them in the past.
If that member of Parliament is interested in the debate before the House today, in the few minutes that are left to us, I would ask the hon. member this. I would have thought the hon. member would want to at least ensure that we today have a guarantee that religious officials will have an opportunity to continue to practise and to express a belief, a belief which I share, that marriage is important to society as it is to my religion. Is the hon. member prepared for the next battle? While the hon. member believes the choice is here now, in my 12 years of experience, the choice will not end tonight. A battle is to come and the hon. member knows it is based on politics, as he has quite rightly pointed out.
Will the hon. member now move to try to preserve the integrity of our religious institutions which clearly are under threat?