Looks like the house successfully voted (149-137) to make transgender discrimination explicitly illegal (instead of just sorta protected by anti-hate laws dealing with sex). Another step forward!
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An almost step forward.
It's very shocking, to me at least. I never expected Conservative non-backbenchers to ever support a bill like this. I certainly didn't expect two major cabinet ministers (let alone four!) or the other 12 Tories that helped out.
However, I don't know if anyone can celebrate yet. I believe the bill still has to go through the Senate, right? With a Conservative majority it's quite possible that the bill will be killed on arrival.
with Harper opposed
I don't know how much of a chance it stands... Here's hoping for the best.
bill
I believe that once it has been made a bill a lieutenant governor must look at it before it goes anywhere.
Not quite.
The bill has already been made. It was tabled in the House of Commons. It then has to go through three readings, which it has. After that, it is sent to the Senate. If the Senate doesn't make any changes it then passes to the Governor General (the Queen, if she's in country, which is very rare) or a deputy, who signs it into law.
If the Senate modifies the legislation, it is then passed back to the House for review. If the Senate chooses to vote against this legislation, it dies. Both the Liberals and the Conservatives have used their majorities in the Senate to kill legislation the other party has passed before.
The interesting thing about this piece is that Harper will probably allow a free vote in the Senate, meaning it is possible that the Senate could pass it. Given that there's so much pressure on the Senate these days, I wouldn't be surprised if the Senate just let this one through untouched so as not to raise public ire.
The lieutenant governor is only the Queen's representative on the provincial level. They have nothing to do with federal legislation. They also rarely review legislation. As the monarchy's role is generally ceremonial in nature, it would be quite shocking for a viceroy to have any say in legislation, or even to reject passed legislation.
Wonderful news! Now if
only America and the United Nations follow suit,
May Your Light Forever Shine