votes 154 were needed to ensure the motion passed, although the only formal requirement for passing one is the assent of a majority of members in attendance for the vote. Note: For and Against mean "for restoring traditional marriage" and "against restoring traditional marriage". Note: The Speaker of the House of Commons, Peter Milliken, a Liberal, could only vote in the unlikely event of a tie. Background Same-sex marriage became legal in Canada in 2003 when a series of court decisions declared that denying the privilege to homosexuals was unconstitutional. The Civil Marriage Act was approved by the Canadian House of Commons on June 28, 2005, by a margin of 158 to 133 and was subsequently passed by the Senate of Canada on July 19, 2005, before being given Royal Assent on July 20, 2005. This law brought the two provinces where such court challenges had not been resolved, Alberta and Prince Edward Island, in line with the rest of the country. The issue remained controversial and Conservative leader Stephen Harper pledged to revisit the issue with a free vote should the Conservatives form a government. Harper's party won the greatest number of seats in the 2006 federal election. Harper said that he would address this issue by means of a simple motion to the House as to whether or not the matter should be revisited. If the motion were to pass his government would introduce legislation to change the legal definition of marriage to two opposite sex couples, while creating civil unions for same-sex couples; should the motion be defeated, the government will take no further action. House of Commons Conservative Cabinet Conservative backbench Liberal Party Bloc Québécois Leader Gilles Duceppe announced on February 10, 2006, that he would force the caucus to vote against Harper's motion. New Democratic Party The NDP caucus did not allow a free vote so MPs were obliged to vote against the Conservative motion. Independents Speaker The Speaker of the House of Commons votes only in the event of a tie. Milliken is a Liberal. References Same-sex marriage in Canada Canadian federal legislation