Though Proposition 8 has caused divisiveness in California and within the Church, one incredible by-product of this campaign has been increased brotherhood and unity among Christian churches. While the LDS Church has been under attack, prominent priests, ministers, and writers—as well as common members—have come out against such attacks and shown their support of the Church.

Cut spending to avoid deficit, majority says

An overwhelming majority of Canadians say Finance Minister Jim Flaherty should slash the federal budget to balance the books, according to a new poll for Canwest News Service and Global National.

A new low for ‘human rights’

In Saskatchewan, the CHRC is prosecuting a former Member of Parliament for politically incorrect mail that he sent to constituents five years ago.

Whether or not Pankiw “wins” his trial is irrelevant. He’s already lost, and so have we. The message is loud and clear: The CHRC has ended parliamentary immunity. The fact that it’s a right-wing MP first in the dock is no surprise — the CHRC is led by Jennifer Lynch, a radical feminist who was Joe Clark’s chief of staff. It’s unlikely that a left-wing MP would ever be punished this way — 100% of the CHRC’s “hate” targets to date have been conservative, white or Christian.

Time for Tories to drop incrementalism

Who knows, maybe if he implemented a true conservative agenda, Prime Minister Harper might even win his coveted majority government in the next election. Then again, maybe he won’t. But at least he would have accomplished something while in power.

And isn’t that what politics is really supposed to be all about? It’s got to mean more than just winning elections or holding onto power for the sake of holding onto power. That’s how Liberals think. For conservatives, at least, politics should be about making Canada a freer and better place.

Margaret Thatcher was a leader. Ronald Reagan was leader. In the last election, the Conservative party kept telling us Stephen Harper was a leader.

It’s time he proved it. - Gerry Nicholls is a freelance political consultant www.gerrynicholls.com.This column is adapted from remarks delivered at a recent Fraser Institute-sponsored event.

Here we go again. great.

Randall Denley,
The Ottawa Citizen

One can hardly blame the voters for their lack of enthusiasm. Harper is an autocratic and unloveable figure with no real vision for the country.

If Harper wants to govern and try again for a majority, he needs to stop trying to be a one-man show. He ran an election campaign that was all about himself and his leadership. Policies were few and slight, his cabinet team scarcely in sight. In this election, voters didn’t say no the Conservative party or to conservative government, they said no to Stephen Harper. Harper has cemented his image as the bully boss who attacks or silences all those who disagree with him. Too many Canadians just don’t like Stephen Harper, and that’s a problem he probably can’t fix.

How to vote for none of the above

In elections past, when I could find no candidate I would dream of voting for, I returned my ballot. This right was an ancient part of Canadian electoral practice, or so I still believe. The officer presents you with your ballot and the usual canned smile; you thank him in a well-bred manner. Then, to his horror, rather than walking immediately towards the voting booth, you declare: “I wish to return my ballot.”

Hanged for being a Christian in Iran

Eighteen years ago, Rashin Soodmand’s father was hanged in Iran for converting to Christianity. Now her brother is in a Mashad jail, and expects to be executed under new religious laws brought in this summer. Alasdair Palmer reports.