Will it ever end

Canada's new Conservative government said Wednesday that it is preparing legislation to repeal the same-sex marriage law.

The move follows a campaign promise to hold a free vote in Parliament on the issue.

The marriage bill was not mentioned in this week's Speech from the Throne - the government's outline of its agenda for the session - leading some LGBT advocates to wonder if Prime Minister Stephen Harper was abandoning his threat.

Wednesday, however, Justice Minister Vic Toews said the bill is being prepared and a vote would be held "sooner rather than later.''

Toews pointed to the party platform saying that if the equal marriage law is overturned the government would bring in a second bill limiting marriage to opposite-sex couples.

Asked about the marriage issue Harper later in the day said that the bill would not be introduced this spring but likely in the fall.
Two recent Environics polls show that two-thirds of Canadians are against re-opening the marriage debate. As well, a recent survey of Canada's top executives revealed a strong consensus against re-opening the issue.

In January, following the winter election that resulted in a minority Conservative government, a Canadian Press study of the new House of Commons suggested a vote on repealing the marriage law would be rejected.