Ottawa — Stephen Harper's justice critic suggested in a letter shortly before the election campaign began that a Conservative government would move as early as this fall to repeal or substantially alter a law that protects gays from hate crimes.
The letter sparked accusations yesterday that the Conservatives have a hidden agenda to eliminate the law.
"Your efforts and dedication to stop this bill from becoming law have been appreciated and have helped to prepare the groundwork for the repeal or substantive amendment of this bill in the next session of Parliament after the election," MP Vic Toews wrote three weeks before the campaign began.
On Monday, Mr. Toews told The Globe and Mail he would like to see amendments that protect religious schools from losing their charitable status or public funds for teaching that homosexuality is wrong. Party Leader Stephen Harper has also said he would amend the law.
The issue was raised on Sunday, when backbench Conservative Cheryl Gallant said that the law could end up protecting pedophiles and that most of the Conservative caucus wanted it repealed.
In an interview yesterday, Mr. Toews said the party has decided against planning to repeal the law in favour of substantial amendments because that would accomplish the goal of protecting religious freedoms.
He conceded that a number of MPs would like to get rid of the law. "Yes, there were caucus members who felt that the way to approach this was to repeal it," he said.
Campaigning in British Columbia and Ontario yesterday, Mr. Harper said a Conservative government would not repeal the law.
"I'm certainly not opposed to having hate protection against gays and lesbians," he said. "I think that is a reasonable thing to have in law, but I think those protections have to be crafted carefully to ensure no ambiguity, ensure that the rights of others are not negatively impacted. .....
"But I don't think we want those protections distorted into attacking people's simple beliefs on matters of religion. ..... I want to make sure laws are clear and not left to the courts to interpret however they want to interpret them."
NDP Leader Jack Layton said changing the law would be dangerous for human rights.
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Meanwhile, a spokesman for a gay-rights group said Mr. Harper may be concealing his real plans for the law, given that Mr. Toews's letter was written so recently.
"I think Mr. Harper is trying to hide the intentions of both himself and his caucus when it comes to how he intends to treat minorities," said Laurie Arron of Equality for Gays and Lesbians Everywhere.
Gay rights has become a controversial issue in the campaign, as rights groups have demanded that Mr. Harper clearly state whether he would use the Constitution's notwithstanding clause to override any decision of the Supreme Court of Canada that upholds the law allowing gays to marry.
With reports from Gloria Galloway in Prince Albert, Sask., and Jane Taber in Victoria
