Today I am pleased to stand and represent the will of my constituents by voting in support of the Government motion to reopen the debate on the definition of marriage.

In my constituency of Fort McMurray--Athabasca, located in northern Alberta, I received less than 10 responses in favour of same sex marriage and over 1,000 responses asking to maintain the traditional definition of marriage.

I speak today as someone who has lived his whole life in the north, as someone who has argued constitutional and charter arguments in front of the courts in Alberta, and as someone with immediate family members in the homosexual and other minority groups.

Above all, I believe strongly that the Charter of Rights and Freedoms must be respected and the rights of all minorities protected.

This is why I support the traditional definition of marriage.

My logic is this. All words have three parts: first, the word itself; second, the meaning that describes the word; and third, the rights and obligations that flow from the word.

The word “marriage” is no exception. It is a word that describes a relationship between one man and one woman in a state-recognized contract. The institution of marriage was created for the purpose of procreation and for the nurturing of the children of the union.

As members of the House of Commons, it is my belief that we must protect the rights of those who entered into marriage under the traditional definition of marriage, that is, between one man and one woman, to the exclusion of all others.

In my view, a stable home with a mother and father is – and has always been - the foundation of our civilization and, although it may not always be attainable, I would argue that we should work toward this environment as it is best for our children.

Our children are our future and must be protected.

However, as the Prime Minister has stated, we must respect all Canadians regardless of sexual orientation or other differences. All couples who apply for solemnization of their relationship – whether they are married, same-sex, or common law - should receive the same respect and rights in all aspects of the law that flow from our state.

The Conservative Party of Canada is allowing a free vote in Parliament on this matter. We respect the supremacy of Parliament. I believe that we should respect the will of Canadians while at the same time protecting the rights of all minorities.

The vote on whether to reopen the debate over the traditional definition of marriage is about mutual respect. This Conservative Party has proven that we respect both sides of the issue and we respect all Canadians equally.