Canada's
parliament votes not to reopen same-sex marriage debate

Canada's parliament voted Thursday not to reopen the same-sex marriage debate, a vote the ruling Conservative Party had promised during the last election campaign to hold. Same-sex marriage became legal in Canada last year under the Liberal Party's leadership, when parliament passed Bill C-38 in response to a series of court rulings that gave gay couples the right to marry. Canada is one of only five countries to legalize same-sex marriages. During the last election campaign Conservative leader and current prime minister Stephen Harper promised to hold a free vote in the house of commons on whether parliament should reconsider the issue. Harper's government, which draws most of its support from conservatives in western Canada, is seeking to appease its conservative base, even though Christian activists acknowledged this week the law would stand. New Liberal Party leader Stephane Dion allowed Liberals to vote as they wished on the motion, something former Liberal leader Paul Martin did not allow when it was passed in 2005. The motion to reopen the bill was debated in the house of commons until late Wednesday. Dion and Canada's other opposition parties did not support reopening the divisive debate and had enough votes to defeat the motion. Members of parliament voted 175-123 against the motion.