CANADIAN SSM IN COURT (2): From the Globe and Mail

The federal government will bring a same-sex-marriage bill before Parliament the moment the Supreme Court of Canada gives it the go-ahead, Justice Minister Irwin Cotler said.

Speaking in an interview just hours before the Supreme Court is to commence a three-day hearing in a major reference case, Mr. Cotler said neither he nor his government have ever wavered in their desire to see same-sex marriage become law.

He said he was shocked by prominent, published reports over the weekend suggesting that a secret plan had been hatched to delay the same-sex legislation until the fall of 2005 -- in spite of the government's purported belief that the Supreme Court will reach a quick ruling. ...

"Frankly, I don't know where it came from, because it's nothing that ever passed by me," he said. "I know some references were made in a newspaper report to a cabinet document, but I never saw it." ...

The same-sex marriage issue is as divisive in the ranks of parliamentarians as it is among the general public, giving rise to considerable speculation recently about how it will be handled by the Liberal minority government.

On a motion dealing with same-sex marriage last year, more than 50 Liberals voted to retain the existing definition of marriage as a union between a man and woman.

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posted by Eve at 2:38 PM VOTE

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