politics

Okay, Canada, Mother's Day Pop Quiz. Question: What policy idea is capable of uniting: (a) social conservatives, (b) advocates of smaller government, and (c) Quebec, the most socially progressive region in North America?

Who would have thought? The community responsible for Toronto's gay pride parade, reliably the opposite of dull, finds itself at the centre of a legislative debate that has become boring.

Canada’s Supreme Court recently declared that, should the federal govern-ment wish to proceed with same-sex marriage legislation, it should be encumbered only by its own fear of controversy–not by any constitutional constraints.

It was bound to happen sooner or later. As Americans and their leaders prepare for the most important and divisive presidential election in decades, pollsters, who like to think of themselves as scientists outside the arena of political contention, have become targets of partisan venom from both the Kerry and Bush camps.

As Canadians lick their wounds over our national election result – a minority that carries with it the likelihood of another round soon – we should be thankful for our limited campaigns compared to the endless electioneering in the United States.

Alliance Party leader Stephen Harper and Progressive Conservative Party leader Peter MacKay have finally reached an agreement to merge their parties in an effort to unite the right.

This is turning out to be quite a year for Canadian liberalism. The Liberal Chrétien government has gained international attention for Canada by indicating its support for legalized gay and lesbian marriages and a promise to decriminalize possession of small amounts of marijuana.

The debate over same-sex marriage occurs at a time when Canadians are realizing how quickly social values have evolved in this country - and diverging from those of Americans.