Tory MPs Told to Can it Over Controversial Bills

In planning for a second majority, the prime minister doesn't want to be waylaid by legislative speed bumps on abortion or gay marriage.

Conservative backbench MPs have been told to keep their legislative ideas to themselves and not introduce private member's bills that dovetail from party policy. Senior Tories relayed that message to the party rank-and-file this week as Parliament resumes, saying that Prime Minister Stephen Harper's agenda over the next four years can ill afford unexpected jaunts into areas of social conservatism such as abortion or same-sex marriage. Any private member's bills will have to fit in with the party's platform. By avoiding those hot-button issues in recent years, the Tories have slowly shed much of their social-conservative leanings in a bid to succeed the Liberals as Canada's "natural governing party."