Harper still harping on same-sex marriage

On day one of the election campaign, Conservative Leader Stephen Harper attempted to re-open the debate on same-sex marriage. He says he's determined to bring it to a free vote in Parliament again, allowing all MPs, including cabinet members, freedom to choose without being under the party whip.

Let's just get to the real message: He just wants to cram the genie back into the bottle and cork it, and he's making an election issue out of it. According to the Toronto Star, "He would have to circumvent court judgments allowing gay marriage, as well as a reference opinion from the Supreme Court of Canada."

According to the same article, "Harper conceded he would consider the matter closed if MPs don't support introducing new legislation to once again define marriage as the sole domain of one man and one woman. Either way, he promised to preserve more than 3,000 gay marriages already performed across Canada, though he wouldn't say exactly how."

Mr. Harper, let me just clarify: The MPs didn't support the legislation the first time around -- that's why it didn't pass. And how he intends to preserve the 3,000 marriages is puzzling at best.

I find this to be extremely dangerous, that Harper would be so quick to use the notwithstanding clause on a rights issue that has already been resolved. Same-sex marriage guaranteed equality in rights for everyone, and judges have ruled that it's supported by the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Parliament has already voted on this, and the Liberal cabinet ministers who could not, in their conscience, back the bill, stepped down from their posts.

And speaking of free votes, was it not Stephen Harper who chewed out Belinda Stronach before the budget vote in May, causing her to switch parties? If I recall, there were some things on the agenda that she liked and would have considered voting for. When Harper heard about this, he read her the riot act and told her that if the government won the vote he would place the blame on her shoulders.

Of course, all of this has just played well into Liberal hands. Choose the Grits or choose the other guys, who would willingly yank away your rights. The image of the U.S.-style, right-wing leadership has resurfaced, along with 2004's rumours of the so-called "hidden agenda".

There are a lot of important issues that should be discussed: national unity (which should be top priority), health care, education, the environment, among other things. Instead, Stephen Harper chooses to beat a dead horse.