Liberal MPs plot to kill same-sex marriage
Tuesday, June 7, 2005 Updated at 3:23 AM EDT
From Tuesday's Globe and Mail
Ottawa — Last Thursday morning in an office in the historic East Block, a dozen Liberal MPs opposed to the same-sex marriage bill met to plot its demise, and for a fleeting instant spoke about killing their own government as a means to an end.
It was an extraordinary meeting in which the MPs discussed strategy, talked of ways to stall the bill and tossed out various scenarios. They even spoke about the possibility of supporting the Conservatives on a no-confidence motion to bring down the government, which would, in effect, kill the marriage bill.
"I must admit, it's a totally bizarre concept that didn't last more than a fleeting moment," said one MP who was there.
Another person at the meeting was London, Ont., MP Pat O'Brien. A vocal participant, he laid out for his colleagues his frustration with the committee process and the bill.
But he gave no indication he was thinking about the drastic step he took yesterday -- leaving the caucus to sit as an independent.
The group, who met in the office of Tom Wappel, a Scarborough Liberal MP whose opposition to the same-sex legislation is well known, decided in the end that killing the bill by killing the government would only delay its eventual passing by some other government.
"I think we sort of concluded that delay for the sake of delay is not the best way for a win-win," he said. "Voting against the government is so ludicrous it does not advance the issue."
Instead, they talked of ways to amend the bill, including protection for religious freedom.
It was not the first meeting for this group. Indeed, all of the 35 Liberal MPs who had voted against the bill going to second reading were invited to this meeting, and some have attended several other meetings in the past.
The group was scheduled to meet last night in the office of New Brunswick Liberal Andy Savoy, who is also the caucus chairman.
But on that particular day, with the legislation before a committee and poised to be passed, the group took a harder and more definitive look at the options and scenarios before them.
Later that Thursday, Mr. O'Brien and Mr. Wappel met with Prime Minister Paul Martin to talk about the options around the bill, and what had taken place at their meeting.
"I guess that's where Pat got whatever he needed to come to the conclusion that he wasn't going to get everything that he had hoped in terms of his prior discussions with the PM," said the MP.
In his news conference yesterday, Mr. O'Brien said he would do anything he could to stall or defeat the marriage bill, refusing to rule out voting against the government on its forthcoming budget bills.
During the news conference, Mr. O'Brien repeatedly referred to the committee process as a "farce."
This is not the first time that he has expressed his dissatisfaction with the marriage legislation. In fact, last month he threatened to leave the caucus but changed his mind at the 11th hour after discussions with the Prime Minister.
In a rambling news conference at that time, Mr. O'Brien said the Prime Minister has made him a promise and that was to encourage the committee studying the bill to consider public hearings.
"I just know I was given a personal assurance by the Prime Minister," Mr. O'Brien said yesterday. He said he felt it was not kept to his satisfaction.
Labour Minister Joe Fontana, a veteran Liberal MP from London and a good friend of Mr. O'Brien, spoke extensively with his colleague over the weekend.
The two men spoke first on Saturday, just an hour before Mr. Fontana's son, Michael, 31, was to walk down the aisle in front of 260 guests. They decided to speak again on Sunday morning. They did, and again later that day.
It seems Mr. O'Brien would not take calls from anyone else.
Mr. Fontana said he heard a man who was concerned and disturbed about the way things were going. Mr. O'Brien told the minister he was really wrestling with his decision.
"So I listened. I'm his colleague and his friend and I indicated to him that I can understand and appreciate . . . and that we would talk further on Monday," Mr. Fontana said. "I told him to have a good rest and we would talk on Monday."
Instead, Mr. O'Brien talked to the Prime Minister yesterday. He informed him he was leaving the caucus to sit as an independent.
The Prime Minister told him he was disappointed.