WHEREAS the Supreme Court of Canada in Nesbitt and Egan (1995) has held that same-sex relationships are not the same as the traditional relationship of spouses of the opposite sex;
AND WHEREAS the present definition of “spouse” in the Immigration Act restricting spousal status to heterosexual couples is based on a long-standing tradition of the English and Canadian common law, as well as European law;
AND WHEREAS the European Court of Human Rights and the European Commission of Human Rights, considers the exclusion of same-sex couples from marriage or spousal is not discriminatory, and the U.N. Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the U.N. International Covenant on Civil an Political Rights and the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms. All recognize that the legal status of marriage and spousal relationships applies exclusively to heterosexual couples;
AND WHEREAS the world’s major religions recognize that the concept of marriage and spouse should involve only the union of man and woman, a basic tenet of all the major religious communities which make up the multicultural heritage of Canada;
AND WHEREAS the Canadian public, according to Canadian polls, does not support the treating of same-sex relationships as the same as traditional spouses of the opposite sex;
AND WHEREAS the Department of Citizenship and Immigration amended its policy in 1994 to allow same-sex partners to be admitted to Canada as “spouses” on humanitarian and compassionate grounds;
BE IT RESOLVED that Canada admit as spouses under its Immigration Act, regulations and policies, only those who are heterosexual couples and that it discontinue its policy of admitting same-sex partners as spouses.