OTTAWA, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - Jan. 13, 2012) - CHP Canada Leader Jim Hnatiuk today responded to Prime Minister Stephen Harper's statement that his government has "no intention of reopening or opening the issue" of same-sex marriage. "We had a vote on this issue", Mr. Harper said, referring to a motion made in 2006 when the House declined his offer to revisit the debate. Jim Hnatiuk, however, noted that "Leadership sometimes requires repeated efforts to present legislation, debate the issues, engage the opposition and seek input from the public, something which was not done properly when the Liberals and their NDP comrades pushed through misguided same-sex marriage legislation back in 2005. Mr. Harper does not use that excuse in regard to the long-gun registry. He doesn't say: 'We had a vote so we're not going to reopen that issue.' No; he pushes ahead (and rightly so). We agree that the long-gun registry was horrible legislation and should be thrown out. We think he should do the same with regard to same-sex marriage." Mr. Hnatiuk continued: "A series of court cases, beginning with the Egan case in 1995, resulted in the unconstitutional insertion of 'sexual orientation' into Canada's Charter. Then same-sex marriage legislation was passed with a 'whipped' vote. Now provincial education ministries are trying to force children and their parents to accept same-sex marriage as the 'new normal'. The Christian Heritage Party believes this is unacceptable; the Prime Minister should act honourably and restore marriage to its rightful role between one man and one woman." Christian Heritage Party of Canada Ottawa, Ontario FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT: Jim Hnatiuk, Leader NationalOffice@CHP.ca or Rod Taylor, Deputy Leader DeputyLeader@CHP.ca