I am slack jawed at Stephen Harper’s latest statement. According to the Globe and Mail, he will re-open the Same Sex Marriage debate, if elected. The Globe writes:
Mr. Harper said he was determined to bring the legislation before a free vote in the House. He told reporters Tuesday he would not rein in cabinet ministers as Prime Minister Paul Martin did last summer when Parliament legalized same-sex weddings.
The Tories would restore the traditional definition of marriage — between one man and one woman — if that’s what MPs decide, Mr. Harper said. But, if MPs voted it down, as they did in June with a clear majority, he said he would consider the matter closed.
There goes Ontario. Not bad, just one day into the Campaign Stephen.
Alec Saunders is the Vice President of Developer Relations for BlackBerry make Research in Motion. This is his personal blog, with his personal viewpoints. Prior to this Alec was the CEO and co-founder of Calliflower — the easiest way to hold a meeting, online, on a conference call, or on the go. A double-decade veteran of product management and marketing, he spent nine years at Microsoft where he helped launch Windows 95, the first two versions of Internet Explorer, the Universal Plug and Play initiative, the push into home markets, opt-in email marketing and what might well go down in history as the very first direct email list ever.
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I can't believe he did this on day one. On one hand I admire the candour, even if I disagree with his views, but on the other – can the man not put it aside on focus on the rest of his agenda? Does he want his party in power or not?
It shows an appalling lack of judgement, in my opinion. What will he do in power?
It's tough, Rob. I've voted Tory my entire voting life. Not this time, I don't think. Not if it means electing Stephen Harper.
The judgment question is a very good one. I appreciate that in the past he has been a back room thinker kind of guy, but as leader he will need much more than that. Just not sure he has it.
Between that and his lovely answer to "Do you love Canada?", "Well Canada is a great country". WTF, his press guys should be jumping down Mr. Harpers' throat with both feet. The answer to do you love Canada is: "Yes, I love Canada! Canada is a great country".
Why is this so hard? Oh yeah, it's hard when you want to be the separtist party of Alberta. I grew up in a family that had never voted anything other than Conservative blue, I voted conservative for every election prior, even when I had to mail my vote in from the US. I voted for something else in the last election, I will vote something else in this election. And it's because this isn't the Conservative Party of Canada, don't be fooled, it's the Alliance, it's Preston Manning's Reform Party.
I gave them a chance last election. Newly merged party, and I hoped that the moderates would tone down some of the nuttier things the Alliance stood for. I guess I was wrong.
And yea… what's so hard about "I love my country!"?
For goodness sake Alec. Harper was asked a question and he answered it. It wasn't Stephen Harper who orchestrated what amounted to a media ambush on day one. Here is what he said: "I would simply ask the House of Commons in a motion whether they want to table legislation on the marriage issue to change the definition of marriage. If the motion is defeated, we won't proceed." That doesn't sound terribly threatening to me. The point he was trying to make is that votes on issues like these would be by free vote in the House. All the newspapers managed to turn the questions he was fielding into a "Harper Agenda" thing. By the way, Canada is a great country.
That's definitely not what the Globe wrote, Brad. They were quite clear that he is "determined" to bring legislation to the commons. In any case, if they've reported it incorrectly, then shame on them. Is there a place to go look at the transcript of what was said?