The same-sex marriage legalisation for all of Canada took another step forward on Tuesday, as the ruling Liberal government gained another round of confidence votes. Religious and pro-family groups in Canada have expressed deep concern on the brink of the legislation’s final passage through the Parliament on 23rd June.

The same-sex marriage Bill C-38 was proposed by the ruling Liberal government. Following the approval of the Canadian parliament in the second reading by a vote of 164-137 on 4th May, the federal Government House leader Tony Valeri said his government hopes to get Bill C-38 through the committee stage and into final stage by 23rd June.

Steve MacKinnon, national director of the ruling Liberal Party of Canada, also said to the San Francisco Chronicle on Wednesday, "The chances of this bill being passed into law are very good, if not excellent, and the government is squarely committed to seeing it through."

Faith-based groups and pro-family groups have been concerned whether the same-sex marriage bill will guarantee religious protection. Derek Rogusky, spokesman for Focus on the Family Canada, says those who oppose gay weddings are uneasy at the developments.

"Faith-based groups are not all that confident if their rights are going to be left up to the courts," said the senior vice-president of the conservative family values group. He worried that equality protections tend to have an advantage over religious freedoms in legal fights in terms of gay rights.

Heated debate has been sparked between politicians and Canadians in generals in some critical cases where the so-called "gay rights" and religious belief appear to contradict each other, for example, religious groups refuse to rent halls for gay celebrations or perform formal religious ceremony of blessings.

In response to the issue, Canadian Justice Minister Irwin Cotler admitted that it was beyond legal reach to protect religious organisations.

Conservative justice critic Vic Toews says Cotler must "deal with each of the provinces in terms of enacting corresponding legislation that will protect religious organisations and those who object to same-sex marriage for reasons of conscience."

Currently, United Families Canada, a conservative pro-family group and affiliate of United Families International, plans to urge the Canadian Parliament to put the legalisation of same-sex marriage all across Canada to a national vote.

Coordinated by its Defence Marriage Canada Project, the National Marriage Referendum is being conducted on the Internet at www.referendumcanada.ca. In less than a week, nearly 80,000 Canadians have already voted on the question "Should Parliament pass Bill C-38 to legalise same-sex marriage in Canada?"

"Opinion polls show that an overwhelming majority of Canadians think this question of whether to legalise same-sex marriage all across Canada is so important to our future that it should be put to a national vote," said Dr. Grant Hill, P.C., coordinator of the Project.

The group will present the results to all Members of Parliament before the third reading vote on C-38. United Families Canada has also generated more than 45,000 e-mails from Canadians to the Prime Minister calling on him to put the issue to a national referendum vote.

If the C-38 same-sex marriage bill becomes law, Canada would be the third and the largest country in the world after the Netherlands and Belgium to legalise gay marriage.

The Thursday Edition of the San Francisco Chronicle reported that action by Canada could strengthen the resolve to ban same-sex marriage in US.

"I think if anything, it will increase the alarm that most Americans feel over the prospect of same-sex marriage and thereby strengthen the campaigns for state and federal marriage amendments," said Peter Sprigg, vice president of policy for the Family Research Council in Washington, D.C.