Conservatives to target ethnic groups with ad campaign against gay marriage(Canada)

Canada.com ^ | January 19,2005 | Les Perreaux

[youngtory]

QUEBEC (CP) - The Conservative party will launch a national advertising campaign this week, targeting Canadian ethnic groups with the party's stand against gay marriage.

As Sikh and Roman Catholic leaders weighed in against redefining marriage laws to include homosexual relationships, Conservative Leader Stephen Harper said his party needs to send a clear pre-election message against changing the definition of marriage. "Frankly, we think a clear majority of Canadians support the compromise I put forward, including a lot of people who vote Liberal and traditionally don't vote for this party," Harper said after a speech to the Quebec City Chamber of Commerce.

"We want to make sure our message gets out to them and make sure our message does not go through a press filter."

Newspaper ads will compare Harper's proposal to preserve the traditional definition of marriage with Prime Minister Paul Martin's plan to "impose same-sex marriage."

Harper wants to create a new kind of civil union for homosexuals that would give them the same rights as married people.

Harper said the ad campaign is part of a new pre-election strategy.

"Our intention is to improve our publicity resources before the next election," he said.

"It's our first attempt to make a publicity campaign like that."

Harper tried to walk a fine line Wednesday, threatening to bring down the Liberal government with the federal budget later this winter while recognizing the public's distaste for another vote.

"I understand Canadians don't want an election," he said.

"I don't want to rule it out. We would like to see some issues addressed. If we think this budget is going to do serious and immediate harm to the economy, we would have no choice."

As Harper tried to sell his party with his fifth visit to Quebec City since the last election in June, he has faced repeated questions about social issues like gay marriage and abortion.

Harper's Quebec wing, including his unelected Quebec lieutenant, Josee Verner, openly support gay marriage, a woman's right to an abortion and other liberal-leaning positions.

The question of same-sex marriage has also followed Martin on his trip to Asia.

A leading Sikh cleric in India, Giani Joginder Singh Vedanti, has condemned Canada's same-sex marriage policy and urged Sikhs to prevent such marriages from occurring in their temples.

Back home, Aloysius Ambrozic, the Roman Catholic archbishop of Toronto, released an open letter urging Martin to maintain marriage as a heterosexual rite.

He said Martin should use the Constitution's notwithstanding clause to override the Charter of Rights and Freedoms and block same-sex marriage.

[youngtory]

I'm very proud of Harper for taking a stand against SSM, however i'm very ashamed that my fellow conservatives in my province who try to push the left-wing agenda onto the party. Not surprisingly many of these people are Red Tories. As for the job of Quebec lieutenant, he should have given that job to some one who is a REAL conservative such as me.

[mlc9852]

This won't be an easy fight. Be prepared.

[youngtory]

Agreed, that's why I'm running to be a member of a delegate for the policy convention in March. I don't want Red Tories trying to hijack the party.