Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper said a majority Conservative government would not move to ban abortions or gay marriage.
During a campaign stop in Ontario, Harper was asked if he would revisit either issue if he wins a majority. “We will govern on the platform we are elected on,” he said. “On the other matters you mention (abortion and gay marriage), they are not in the Conservative platform. I have no intention of opening up those issues.”
A Nanos Research tracking poll put support for the Conservatives at 39.8%, down from 42.3% in Monday’s survey. Support for the Liberals rose to 30.2% from 28.4%.
LGBT Canadians have most of the same legal rights as non-LGBT citizens, and since 2005, Canada has offered civil marriage rights nationwide to same-sex couples. Canada was the fourth country to officially sanction same-sex marriage nationwide, behind the Netherlands, Belgium, and Spain.