mr president it has been an interesting debate and it would be funny if it was not so tragic
most of the opposition i have heard this afternoon is i think sincerely felt and believed but it is not based on the facts and it is not based on the text before us
nothing in this report undermines subsidiarity or proportionality
indeed if it did it would be corrected by the council of ministers
so i urge you even now to vote in favour and allow the council of ministers to do the right thing to make sure that it is absolutely proportionate and subsidiarity is respected
mr weber europe was born out of the values of the second world war a determination that we would never look away again whilst one group of individuals or other groups were targeted or made a scapegoat and led away to concentration camps and work camps
a determination that there would be no hierarchy of oppression
yet sadly you want to have a europe that is not based on those decent values a europe that believes and respects that all human beings are born equal
those opposed to this have to answer to their conscience to their religion and to their voters as to why you believe some people should be treated differently from others that they should not have equality
i stand here fortunate as a gay man and if i chose to be gay is it not interesting that one obviously therefore chooses to be heterosexual
fighting for equality not just for gay men and lesbians and bisexuals and transgender people but for people on the basis of their age their religion their belief their gender anything that is perceived to be different that could be used to take equality away from them
i believe the litmus test of any civilised society is not how we treat a majority which interestingly is made up of so many different minorities
the litmus test of any civilised society as people listening in the visitors gallery will tell you is not how we treat the majority but how we treat the minorities and in that instance some member states are sadly lacking
shakespeare said rather brilliantly the evil that men do lives on the good is oft interred with their bones
look to yourself imagine if it were you who was different who had a different religion a different belief a different age a different sexual orientation would it be right that you should have your human rights taken away from you
the answer has to be no
now is the opportunity for the house to do that which is right and just and good
