[Regehr 2.0]

I was wondering what are people's views on a couple of issues (gay rights, abortion)

Regarding gay marriage, personally I'm neutral on the subject. Harper said he'd like to have a free vote on the issue right? He also said that he didn't think it was a rights issue as gay couples would have the same legal rights as straight couples. So it seems to me that they are just disagreeing about the use of the word "marriage". Well obviously, religious groups would like to keep the traditional definition of marriage. If straight unions were legally recognized as "marriages" and gay unions were recognized as "civil unions" would it really be so bad? I guess some gay couples might view that as discrimination because their unions would be "different"... So wouldn't a solution be for the government to get out of the "marriage" business altogether and just call all marriages "unions"? But I mean for all intents and purposes, people could still call them "marriages". After all, it's just a word right?

Regarding abortion, personally I am pro-choice. Harper said that he wouldn't debate abortion laws if he gets a mandate. I was just wondering, are there any laws regarding the latest an abortion can be performed? Because obviously, it would be wrong to perform an abortion say 7 months into a pregnancy or something.

And I really doubt that Harper has a hidden agenda. If he goes against his word then Canadians can vote him out next election, which might not be too long if the Conservatives get a minority.