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Update September 10 Same-sex marriage opponent to join Liberal race
CTV.ca News Staff
She isn't a household name yet, but CTV News has learned that by Saturday Madonna-Megara Holloway hopes to enter the Liberal leadership race, and campaign against same-sex marriage in Canada.
It will cost $75,000 to run against Paul Martin and Sheila Copps, and she's putting her family's savings on the table.
"I am not doing this because I have big money backing me," Holloway told CTV News. "If you will, I am putting my money where my mouth is."
Holloway has launched a website and her platform. The main theme of her campaign is to oppose same-sex marriage, and instead offers a type of business relationship called a "conjugal partnership."
"This would allow homosexual couples to own property share assets, if they chose they could celebrate their partnership as a wedding," Holloway says. "But it would not allow them to adopt children."
Holloway still needs 250 card-carrying Liberals to sign her nomination
papers, and she's got three days to do it.
She is not a single-issue candidate. Other items on her platform:
Although front-runner Paul Martin supports same-sex marriage, he's tried to downplay what could be a difficult debate in the coming months.
"This is obviously an issue which requires large public debate, wide parliamentary debate," he said. "It would appear that debate is now engaged."
Copps says she'd welcome another contender in the Liberal race.
Party organizers say they don't fear Holloway will hijack the leadership convention.
Stephen LeDrew, the president of the Liberal party, says if Holloway meets the requirements by noon on Saturday she's in, but he's not offering to give her a list of party supporters