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Expands Partner Rights |
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By Rex Wockner
International News Report
Same-sex couples in the Canadian province of British Columbia are
set to get equal rights in matters of wills, estates and
inheritance. They already have equal rights in areas such as
adoption, spousal support and pension benefits.
The provincial government has introduced a bill to expand the definition of "spouse" in several laws to include "a person who has lived and cohabited with another person, for a period of at least 2 years immediately before the other person's death, in a marriage-like relationship, including a marriage-like relationship between persons of the same gender." "This government is committed to supporting stable family relationships whether they involve traditional families, common- law families or same-sex relationships," said provincial Attorney General Ujjal Dosanjh.
Following the move in B.C., John Fisher, head of the national lobby group Equality for Gays and Lesbians Everywhere, noted: "The federal government is rapidly falling behind the courts and the rest of Canada in its commitment to equality. EGALE calls on the federal government to stop following and start showing some leadership by introducing omnibus legislation as soon as the House [of Commons] resumes in the fall." |
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