Liberal cabinet ministers may have to quit in order to have the right to vote with their conscience.
PRIME MINISTER Paul Martin’s stand that his cabinet members back any legislation on gay marriage could cost him at least one of his cabinet ministers, a veteran Liberal MP said yesterday. London Grit Pat O’Brien did not identify the minister, but at least seven of those now in the 39-member cabinet voted against changing the traditional definition of marriage in a Commons vote in September 2003.
“I know one friend in cabinet who’s directly told me quote, unquote ‘I’m gone’ if I have to be told (to support) the cabinet party line on this,” O’Brien told CTV’s Question Period.
There’s widespread speculation that Secretary of State for Northern Ontario Joe Comuzzi is probably the one who would sacrifice his cabinet job rather than go against his conscience.
O’Brien says Martin shouldn’t be putting his cabinet members in such a position when the issue involves a core moral belief. He said all MPs—including cabinet ministers—should be allowed to take part in a free vote on the issue.
PTBC was founded by Mr. Johannesen in 2000.
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