ACTION ALERT

February 11, 2000

Support Omnibus Same-Sex Legislation

EGALE welcomes the introduction by Parliament of the Modernizing Benefits and Obligations Bill. The Bill extends to both opposite-sex and same-sex couples the status of "common law partners/conjoints de fait" throughout federal law.

This far-reaching piece of legislation not only recognizes same-sex relationships as equivalent to opposite-sex common law relationships, it also extends many of the rights and responsibilities of married couples to both same-sex and opposite-sex common law partners.

To support equal rights for those in same-sex relationships, please do the following:

1. Phone, fax or write your M.P. Express your support for this important Bill and the need for prompt action to ensure its passage. To get your MP’s contact details:

   • call Elections Canada at 1-800-463-6868;
   • visit the following web site: Find your MP
   • All M.P.s may be reached c/o House of Commons, Ottawa, ON, K1A 0A6, no postage required;
   • You can fax your MP through the Internet, (no fax machine required and it’s free) using the link at: www.egale.ca/politics/politics.htm

2. Phone, fax or write the following:

   The Rt. Hon. Jean Chrétien, PC, MP
   Prime Minister of Canada
   Ph: (613) 992-4211
   Fax: (613) 941-6900
   pm@pm.gc.ca

   The Hon. Anne McLellan, PC, MP
   Minister of Justice
   Ph: (613) 992-4621
   Fax: (613) 943-0044
   McLellan.A@parl.gc.ca

3. The Bill deals only with federal legislation, not with regulations, such as those which prescribe who may immigrate to Canada under the family class. EGALE recognizes that the requirement of cohabitation contained in the omnibus legislation is not appropriate in the immigration context where couples are often unable to live together because they are separated by distance. The Immigration Minister has, however, committed to including same-sex couples within the family class and plans to introduce legislation to that effect later this year. Please contact the Minister of Immigration and call upon her to commit to a clear timetable for bringing the law for which she is responsible into conformity with the Charter.

   The Hon. Elinor Caplan, PC, MP
   Minister of Citizenship and Immigration
   Ph: (613) 954-1064
   Fax: (613) 992-0887
   Caplan.E@parl.gc.ca

Egale Canada ©2011

Canada's LGBT human rights organization: advancing equality, diversity, education, and justice.