SAME-SEX MARRIAGE, POT AND WAR IN OTTAWA

The Conservative government should let the issue of same sex marriage
rest and turn its attention to more important national issues, said
MP Jean Crowder.

Minister of Justice and Attourney General Vic Towes said last week
his party would hold a free vote on whether to rescind the same-sex
marriage bill and change the legal definition of marriage to a union
between a man and a woman.

Though Toews told a CBC reporter the vote would happen "sooner rather
than later," no timeframe has been set.

"It will happen but it will be several months off yet," predicts
Crowder. "There is a real split about whether this should even come
back to Parliament. Even some of the Conservatives are questioning it."

Crowder says she has not heard a peep from constituents on the issue
since the bill passed, with the exception of the election campaign
when Conservative candidate Norm Sowden took some fire for his
party's position.

Though she would again vote in favour of same-sex marriage, she
argues another vote - one that could be close - is simply not necessary.

"The debate happened in Parliament. A decision was made. Many people
have gone out and gotten married. There are so many more pressing
issues for this government to deal with," she said.

One of those issues could soon be addressed following an announcement
Wednesday that Stephen Harper has reversed an earlier decision and
will give MPs a chance to debate, but not vote on, Canada's mission
in Afghanistan.

"It does at least allow Members of Parliament to ask questions of the
minister and get it on record," said Crowder.

She expects the debate to include the role of Canadian soldiers in
Afghanistan, the length of the mission and what the exit strategy is.
The debate should not end there, Crowder says, but should also cover
whether Afghanistan would be better served by a United Nations mission.

"Then there is the broader question of, outside of Afghanistan, what
is the role of the Canadian military and how are we training and
equipping our soldiers for that role."

It was a busy week for Harper with the PM telling an Association of
Police Chiefs' meeting on Tuesday he would not reintroduce a Liberal
bill to decriminalize possession of small amounts of marijuana. That
bill died when the minority government fell.

"It's not a helpful stance," said Crowder, saying the
decriminalization bill - which would not legalize marijuana - would
have freed police and courts to focus on large producers and
traffickers.