While the act could not have been challenged under the Charter, the definition of marriage is outside the power of the Provincial Government, or ultra vires, and therefore invalid. The Constitution Act, 1867 is universally interpreted as giving provinces jurisdiction over only the solemnization of marriage, while all other aspects, including capacity to marry, are under federal jurisdiction. At the time Bill 202 was passed, Justice Minister Dave Hancock did not support it, saying: "In terms of legal effect, I'm convinced it doesn't have any." Hancock subsequently stated that he believed the act to be constitutionally valid and that Alberta would attempt to uphold it. Following the December 9, 2004 Supreme Court response to the federal reference of same-sex marriage, Hancock's successor, Ron Stevens, conceded that the Bill 202 amendments to the Marriage Act would likely be struck down as unconstitutional on account of its encroachment into what had by then been explicitly ruled a matter of federal jurisdiction. In December 2004, Canadians for Equal Marriage said they were considering filing a court challenge to legalise same-sex marriage in Alberta, similar to what had happened in other provinces and territories, "The essence of the challenge is going to be discrimination based on sexual orientation. They suggest marriage continues to be between a man and a woman, when the Supreme Court and other jurisdictions have stated very clearly otherwise." Michael Phair, a member of the Edmonton City Council, said "We are tired of being bullied. It is an outrage, and it is nothing but bias and revenge to force us to go to the courts to get what everyone else has in this country." In May 2014, the Legislative Assembly amended the Marriage Act to remove the Bill 202 amendments added in 2000, to replace references to "husband and wife" with the gender-neutral term "spouses" and to add "or spouse" in section 8(2), nine years after same-sex marriage became legal in Alberta. Several other acts were amended in a similar way. The legislation received royal assent by Lieutenant Governor Donald Ethell on 14 May. Section 8 of the Act states that each of the parties shall, in the presence of the marriage commissioner and the witnesses, declare: Adoption Act Same-sex couples have been allowed to adopt their stepchildren since 1999. In February 2007, same-sex couples won the right to adopt children jointly. Two-spirit marriages Many First Nations have traditions of two-spirit