Canada to review
same-sex marriage law

Canada's parliament will be asked to vote next week on whether to revisit a 2005 law that made same-sex marriage legal, a member of the government told Reuters on Wednesday.

The ruling Conservatives promised the vote as part of their campaign in the run-up to the January election, which they won with a plurality of seats. Some insiders suspect that the government, which is sliding in opinion polls, wants the proposal voted down so the matter can be put to rest once and for all before the next election, which is widely expected to be held early next year.

The legislation, passed under the previous Liberal government, made Canada the fourth country at that time to legalize marriage equality, following the Netherlands, Belgium, and Spain.

A parliamentary debate will start next Wednesday, and a vote could be held the same day or on Thursday, depending on how fast the government shuts down discussions. Otherwise, legislators would vote the week of December 11.

Marriage equality activists say they are confident that a majority of legislators will vote against reopening the issue.

The Liberals acted after a number of court rulings that said a ban on same-sex marriage could be discriminatory. Groups opposed to same-sex marriage say parliament passed the law too quickly and did not properly examine the effect it would have on society. (Reuters)