Canada premier cool to referendum

MONTREAL – Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin was cool Sunday to the idea of a national referendum on gay marriage and said Parliament should decide the issue.

Canada’s Supreme Court ruled Thursday that gay marriage was constitutional, a landmark opinion allowing the federal government to call on Parliament to legalize same-sex unions nationwide.

Alberta Premier Ralph Klein has said he wants a national referendum on gay marriage.

Klein’s proposal for a referendum already was dismissed by Justice Minister Irwin Cotler, who told the Toronto Star, “You don’t subject minority rights to a referendum.”