Stephen Harper, Leader

Party Policy
On March 19, 2005 the Conservative Party voted in favour of a resolution stating "a Conservative Government will support legislation defining marriage as one man and one woman." The vote was 75% in favour of this resolution and 25% against. This policy does not bind MPs in how they vote.

Based on the percentage of incumbent MPs who voted in favour of Bill C-38 (the equal marriage bill). Absences are not included. The Conservatives ranked last of the four parties with elected MPs. 100% is a perfect score.

The number of equal marriage supporters in the Conservative caucus has increased since the last Parliament, however still only a small fraction of the caucus supports equal marriage.

Leader - Stephen Harper
Stephen Harper is a longtime opponent of equal marriage. During the debate on Bill C-38 (the equal marriage bill), Mr. Harper appeared across the country at anti-equal marriage rallies and his party used numerous delay tactics in an attempt to stop the bill from passing.

Mr. Harper's 2006 election platform states, at page 33:

"A Conservative government will:

• "Hold a truly free vote on the definition of marriage in the next session of Parliament. If the resolution is passed, the government will introduce legislation to restore the traditional definition of marriage while respecting existing same-sex marriages."

During the election debates, Mr. Harper said he would not use the notwithstanding clause to override the Charter "on this issue". This promise does not appear anywhere in writing, including in the election platform. It is unclear whether this promise is limited to a commitment not to include the notwithstanding clause in the legislation Mr. Harper intends to introduce following his motion to re-open, or whether it means he won't use it ever (i.e. in several years should his anti-equal marriage legislation pass and subsequently be struck down by the courts).

Mr. Harper has stated that while he intends to take away equal marriage, he'll provide equivalent legal rights and responsibilities in a separate legal regime he refers to as "civil union". He has not acknowledged that in the Reference re Same-Sex Marriage the Supreme Court said that Parliament has no jurisdiction to implement a comprehensive civil union scheme because "civil unions are a relationship short of marriage and are, therefore, provincially regulated" (paragraph 33 of the decision).

Mr. Harper claims that opening up civil marriage to same-sex couples is not a human rights issue, but rather "what we are really talking about, sexual behaviour" (Hansard, September 16, 2003).