The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

Page 2, Whltby Free Press, Wednesday, May 8,1996 Me Teague ciriti.cized fior discrimination bill vote: By Mike Kowal.ki A local gay right acativist has criticized Whitby MP Dan McTeague for opposing his government's plans to ban discri- mination on sexual orientation grounda. Tanya Gulliver, co-faclitator of Gay-Lesbian Bisexual Youth of Durham, said MTau a wrnji not su'prt'glong- prom 1ed legsation to aend the Canadian HumaziRi hs Act. The Ontario ridig0 was one of 29 Làiberals to'vote against Bill C-33 when it came up for approval i principle in- the House of Commons last week.' McTeague claimed the bill had nothing te do with discrimination against homosexuals, but is a precursor te same-sex benefits (amo separate story). Gullivor, a f ormer Whitby trustee on the Durham Board of Education, said McTeague's fears are groundloss, even thopù.she personally supports such mea- sures and bears him no ani- moaity for his stand. "Dan and I get along fine which is intereating because f think bis point of view ie in- accurate," she said. "Ho says addirig it (sexual orientation clause) te the human righta code will lead te marriage and adoption, but thoso are pro- vincial issues. This bas nothing tdo with that. 436-1800 "Your Sigih of Distinction" Opportunity Knocks $1 699900 Large family home presently duplexed. Separate heated workshop/garage. Huge country lot. Excellent condition throughout. Cail Blair Buchanan, 436-1800. Ivoi§iILOUI MuEIUI i $1 74,900 Beautifully maintained, aIl brick. W/0 from bedroom to deck. Gorgeous rec room with fireplace. Choice area. Walk to downtown. Caîl Blair Buchanan, 436-1800. .Blair Buchanan For Rent $900. Luxury 2 bedroom condo in the heart of Vhitby. Fireplace, laundry roomf, underground parking. NQ pets. CalilBlair Buchanan, 436-1800. However, Gulliver feels the government would be wise te explore the same-sex benefits issue, from bath a human rigbts and financial precive. "Our children biolojicallr belong te ypatnor,» said Gu hiver of ber emale companion. "She geta a hig child tax credit and I could be making $500,000 a year. It wouid be more beneficial te the govern- ment te include everyone's in- come.» Altbough she di& -Yeed with McTeague and the otr ýIàberai MPs or bucking their own goverpment Guiliver i. confident the bill wiîi emerge from third and final reading unscathed. Bath the Bloc Quebecois and New Democratic Party are again expocted to, join wth tho majority Of Liberal members in assuring its passage. Gulliver, meanwbile, commen- dod the dissident Liberals for the genorai .tene of their remarks, contrasting it with the «nasti- ness» of the debate over same-sex benefits in the Ontario legisla- ture two years ago. "When you bave two gay mem- bers aitting acrosa from y ou, it's bard te iok them in the face and say you're living a terrible life- style,» she said. NDP MP Svend Robinson, a former candidate- fiorbis arx' leaderashi and BQ M P Real Menard bave both previousiy declared that they are gay. McTeague 'votes agaionsi bihl PROM PAGE i and the public's attention was focused on the controversy generated by the government s proposed changes te the goods and services tax. «I tbink this legisiation is being vastiy underestimated in terms of wbat it wiii do as far as defining the famiiy,". said McTeague. «It's being sold as eliminating one form of discrimination, butlI tbink it's offensive te, suggest that gays ad iesbians don't h ave protection uder the law,» -ho said. ."'Me. Canadian Charter of, Rigbts protecta even, those .wbo try te presenit themiselvesas being discriminated againat.» ..hle' Chartèr "lIs', part 'of 'the Canadian Constitution and apliiea te ail laws, including the CR.It enabios a person te' challenge the iaws of the coun- try, includingý laws governngý em ioyment, if bW/she believes thoir rigb.ts bave been violated. But *hile the Charter applies te ail levols of law and govern- ment activity, it does not apply te priva te employer. and service providers. The CHRA applies in tbis case. Ilhe CHRA, covers the govern- ment -and private. employers in federal jurisdiction, such as banks and airlines, representing about 10 per cent of the Cana- dian workforce. Most employers, sucb as achools, small businesses and religious and cultural organiza- tions, are regulated provincially and wouid not be afficted by the ipropos ai. fepte Rock'. insistenice that th"ebihl does not deal witb the issue of same-sex benefits, McTeague challenges the minis- teres daim. «Allan Rock cant guarantee squat," ho said. "After the bill i. passed, ho can't guarantee that the Cana-. dian people will get achance te deliberate and de ate the issue." McTeague points te comment. from* Chief Justice Antonio Lamer of the Supreme Court of Canada and human rights com- missioner Max Yalden on the issue of same-sex benefits. In a 1993 decision in which the Court ruied that "family status» Our staff has more than 24 years-experience combined does not include same-sex rela- tionsbips Lamer wrote, «if Par- liament fias decided te include sexuai orientation in the list of u rohibited grounds of discrimina- on, m interpretation of the p hras 'amily status' might have rnentireiy different.» Thie foilowing year in an appearance before a flouse of Gommons committee, Yaiden expanded on the judge's words. "We believo that if sexual' orientation is inciuded by the courts in the set,'and even if it's more obviousiy icluded by Par- liainent in the sect, it would be discriminatory on the ground of sexual orientation te give bene- fits of one sort or another to a common law couple and yet.deny them te -a same-sex, couple,» -said Yaiden. McTeague said'the aforemen- tioned commenta should be 'viewed'in light of Rock's remarka of lastTuesday. "Lot Ius treat -for a moment that wbich this ,amondment i. no »said Rock. «7It doSe not deal with the conforrai of benefits on" any cîas or cateory of peiron. It does not confor benefits on samo-sex couples. It does not confor- bene- fit. on 'homosexual indivi- duals...The bill, does not doal in any way with marriage. marital statua or the de finition of spouse,» ho said. «Frankly, I dont believe- Allan Rok»said Mtefague. «I tbink this whoie tbing is absolutely wrong,» ho said. «We didln't talk about i t in4tho campaign and thon we bring it in onthe bseck of anothor controver- siai issue (GST) and rami -it through.Pr oamnt.» MT ague imi dPrimo Ministor -Joan Chretion'. offer of a free vote as a "dog bone» tbrown te dissidents such as bimself. "Ho did it only after the minis- tors were on side and the (jus- tice) committeo had been hand- pickod.w As for Liberal MPs wbo wero wav en on the issuo, Chretien ensure that they were "ncon- viently away» b arranginig for them to "tak e junkets,-" McTeg charged. Since third roading wiil aiso be a free vote, McTeague wiil not have te face the primo minister2s wrath, but ho would gladiy talce hi. chances if partY discipline were impoaed. "If I have to choose between my values and honesty to My constituents and iloyaity te my party, I wili choose the former, not the latter,» he.promised. ~ROARY CO$H (ALEDAR$ P& PrzNumberft f«Apr.25 Mayl 1 2667 0858 0981 2740 . 0765 0608'0897 * ANNUAL MEETING' Oshawa General IHospital Tuesday, June 25th, 1996 73Opm i the Hospital Cafeteria The Annual Meeting shail elect the Govemors, in accordance with-the By-àlaws of the Corporation, shall receive and consider the ieport of auditors, shall appoint auditors, and consider By-law amendments passed by the Board of Govemnors since the last Annual Meeting,, and shall consider such other business as properly cornies before the meeting. Copies of such By-laws may be examined at the off ice of the President of the Hospital at any time during off ice hours, prior to the Anniual Meeting. Members eligible to vote at the Annual Meeting shall be those members who were members during the membership year immediately preceding the Annual Meeting <Membership year commenced Apnil 1, 1995 and terminated March 31, 1996) plus any member who has been a member throughout the period of thirty days immediately preceding the Annual Meeting. Every member of the Auxiliary of the Oshawa General Hospital who holds a currently valid and subsisting membership card in the Auxiiary shail be a member of the Hospital. No person shall be nominated at an Annual Meeting for election to the office of Govemor, whose name has flot been submitted to the Secretary of the Board in wrting, signed by two qualified members of the Corporation at Ieast thirty days before the date of the Annuel Meeting. T. WORDEN, SECRETARY Board of Govemors Oshawa General Hospital 24 Aima Street, Oshawa, Ontario Li G 2B9 Servîng Durham sînce 1981 1