Harper's First Mis-step?

CTV, theglobeandmail.com and Canadian Press are all reporting that Stephen Harper has promised a free vote on same sex marriage when the House opens in the fall. First question that comes to mind is why? Why would Harper do this while his government is doing so well?

One reason is because of a campaign promise made during election. Now, many are surprised at this, as politicians make promises all the time that are immediately forgotten after the election is over. So once again Harper has shown he is a man of his word.

However, the fact the election promise was made at all is a disappointment to me. Another bit of a goody for the so-cons in the party, I guess. The fact that the vote is a free vote and not a party-line vote is a good thing though. This allows (hopefully) for the true voice of the people to be heard. It also will show that the Conservative party is not the only one with MP's that don't support gay marriage. Make sure to watch which Liberals and/or NDPer's vote against gay marriage(or are suspiciously absent on the day of the vote). Hopefully this issue can then finally be resolved and we can get on with important issues, like running the country.

Also, Dante over at Uncommon Truths, has managed to recreate the "Youth for Volpe" spoof site that was pulled down, check it out if you never got a chance to see the original.