Chrysler Canada was ordered by an arbitrator March 11 to provide benefits to employees' same-sex partners.

All benefits were included in the mandate except pensions.

During 1996 bargaining, General Motors agreed to a Canadian Auto Workers demand for gay spousal benefits but Chrysler and Ford refused to extend their policies.

CANADIAN SUPREME COURT CONSIDERS GAY ALIMONY

The Canadian Supreme Court heard a same-sex alimony case March 18.

The lesbian couple that launched the case settled out-of-court but the Ontario government still wants the Supreme Court to rule on a lower-court decision that invalidated the provincial Family Law Act's heterosexist definition of "common-law couple."

If the earlier ruling is upheld, around 90 other provincial laws that define "spouse" heterosexually also may need to be rewritten.

The women whose breakup spawned the case lived together for 12 years. One headed an ad agency the couple founded while the other mostly looked after household matters.

CANADIAN SUPREME COURT JUSTICE CLEARED

The Canadian Judicial Council has dismissed a misconduct complaint against Supreme Court Justice Ian Binnie over his use of the phrase "faggoty dressup party" in a speech to an Osgoode Hall Law School fraternity.

The Council was swayed by Binnie's prompt apology for the gaff.

"Considering the context and the apology of the judge, this single inadvertent, descriptive comment made in a social context, unfortunate as it is, does not demonstrate evidence of misconduct requiring any further action," the Judicial Conduct Committee ruled.

In referring to an initiation ritual that featured wigs, candles and dramatic lighting, Binnie wondered aloud if he was at some kind of "faggoty dress-up party." In his apology, Binnie explained that he had encountered the phrase in a newspaper review of "Macbeth" and that it just popped out of his mouth during the speech.

"I don't consider the word 'faggoty' to be appropriate, nor is the pejorative attitude that lies behind it acceptable, nor do I subscribe to it," Binnie lamented. "Sometimes, as here, expressions that stick in your mind lose their original edge and significance with the passage of time."

Rex Wockner's weekly international news reports dating back to May 1994 can be searched at http://www.wockner.com.