"Serious conservative parties simply cannot shy away from values questions"

That piece of mine about social conservatism quotes from a 2003 Civitas speech by Stephen Harper. The only complete, non-firewalled online copy of it that I can find is at Cannabis Culture magazine. Insert joke here.

I’m amazed that I wasn’t familiar with this speech. I think it says something about how harried and distracted the denizens of Parliament Hill are that probably fewer than 50 staffers, MPs, journalists or other hangers-on in the whole town would be able to discuss the arguments in this speech. I mean, the guy’s been prime minister for more than four years. Surely it’d be handy for all his fans and detractors to know how he thinks. I hope you get a chance to read the speech.