Home                                             Dec. 5-11

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File photo		 Conservative MP Vic Toews was unable to get an answer from Justice Minister Irwin Cotler in the House of Commons Dec. 10 on what would happen to public officials who refuse to perform same-sex weddings in Canada. Toews wondered how the government now intends "to statutorily protect not only religious organizations but also public officials with moral concerns about same sex marriages." Cotler instead offered only an answer about religious officials, saying that the Supreme Court of Canada decision will protect them under the charter because "religious freedom is absolutely protected."
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File photo		 Janet Epp Buckingham, law and public policy director for the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada, says there are many religious freedom issues that the Supreme Court of Canada opinion on same-sex marriage did not address, including "protection for civil officials and protection against discrimination for religious institutions that do not recognize same-sex marriage." Until there is legislative protection, she added, "people of faith will not be fully protected."
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File photo		 Bruce Clemenger, president of the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada, says, "Our silence as Christians" will be interpreted as consent to the federal government's proposed legislation to redefine marriage." He also urged Christians to write, call or visit their MPs to express their views on marriage. "Now is the time to speak," he said in a news release Dec. 10.
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File photo		 A Liberal government motion to restore $419,000 to Gov. General Adrienne Clarkson's $19.1 million official annual budget was defeated in the House of Commons Dec. 9 after five Liberal MPs joined with opposition politicians. The House of Commons voted 171-120 to uphold the decision of an all-party parliamentary committee to slash Clarkson's budget.
snowbirds3-th.jpg (22194 bytes) Capt. Miles Selby, 31, a native of Tsawwassen, B.C., died Dec. 10 when two Canadian Forces Snowbirds crashed in mid-air on a practice flight in southern Saskatchewan.The pilot of the second aircraft was injured.
martin-menorah-th.jpg (28691 bytes) Prime Minister Paul Martin lights a Menorah candle at a ceremony on Parliament Hill Dec. 7 marking the first night of Chanukah, the Jewish festival of lights. Members of the Jewish community and the leaders of all opposition parties attended.
karzai-th.jpg (26273 bytes) Hamid Karzai, seen here during a visit to Ottawa in 2003, was inaugurated as Afghanistan's first democratically elected president Dec. 7.
xmas-parl2-th.jpg (27370 bytes) Parliament Hill is aglow with "holiday" lights and decorations. 

 
xmas-parl=th.jpg (40521 bytes) "Holiday" trees in the foyer of the Centre Block on Parliament Hill are decorated with red bows and ornaments from a variety of countries.
dean-th.jpg (33769 bytes) Ambassador Jonathan Dean says the proposed missile defence program is a major driver for the development of space weapons by the United States.
mason-th.jpg (39343 bytes) A decision to join the U.S. Ballistic Missile Defence program will not make Prime Minister Paul Martin's political life easier, "it will make it impossible," says former Canadian disarmament ambassador Peggy Mason.
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An abstract Christmas tree on Parliament Hill? Not really. An Inuksuk on loan from the Canadian Museum of Nature marks the 5th anniversary of the creation of Nunavut, Canada's third territory.