This blind preference for progress has been a thorn in the side of Canadian conservatives for years, breeding a culture of ‘me-too’ conservatism that has undermined their ability to articulate an alternative vision of Canada that is positive, but different than the what liberals desire. Whenever a colossal, state-run program is proposed by liberals to alleviate some perceived injustice, Canadian conservatives have been sure to make a fuss, but in the end, they resign themselves to the inevitable, worried that the public will punish them for obstructing ‘progress’.

The same old song is now being played with respect to same-sex marriage. Now that legislation has passed institutionalizing same-sex marriages, the Conservative Party in general, and especially its leader Stephen Harper, is being urged to drop the issue and move on or risk the wrath of voters. Much of the pressure to accept defeat has originated from within the Tory ranks itself.

So far Harper has refused to bow to the pressure, reiterating that, if elected, his government will introduce legislation that will define marriage as the union of one man and one woman to the exclusion of all others.

Harper is right to lead the Conservatives in this direction.

If conservatives are ever to be truly successful, at some point they will have to stop acquiescing to every radical scheme imposed by liberals simply because they consider the battle to have been lost. Canada’s liberal elite has come to count on this defeatism for their own long term success. They know that no matter how loud and organized the opposition all they have to do is stay the course long enough for the resignation to settle in. If politics is war by other means, then liberals are masters of using attrition to their advantage.

Tories who counsel Harper to surrender on marriage represent the greatest threat to the party’s long-term electoral prospects. Ignoring all evidence to the contrary, they continue to believe that the best way for conservatives to get elected is to flee from, rather than embrace, meaningful, even profound, policy alternatives. Their ‘me too’ conservatism mimics liberal policy instead of challenging it. It affirms the liberal agenda and ensures that conservatives can only form the government during those interludes when the public distrusts the competence or integrity of the current crop of liberal ministers. Once that trust is re-established, the Tories are out. After all, why should voters settle for liberal-lite when they can have the real thing?

The plain truth is that vast numbers of Canadians continue to disagree with changing the definition of marriage despite the fact that Bill C-38 is now law. As a wedge issue, it doesn’t get any better. It may be that, for many of those who still oppose the redefinition, the ballot question – the issue upon which they will cast their vote – is unlikely to be marriage, but for many it will be. The key will be to mobilize those who will base their vote on the marriage question, but also, to explain to Canadians the connection between the arrogance of the Liberal government – evident throughout the debate on marriage – and its approach to other important policy issues.

But apart from tactical and strategic considerations, Harper and the Conservatives are right to continue to fight for traditional marriage because it’s just good public policy. Study after study indicates that the outcomes of children who are raised in intact families with both of their biological parents present are much better than those who are not. In the case of same-sex unions, such a condition is not possible since at least one of the biological parents can never be part of the marriage.

Research also indicates that the marital status of parents has a profound impact on the safety of mothers. Statistics compiled by the U.S. Department of Justice demonstrate that married mothers are half as likely to suffer from violent crime at the hands of their husbands as those who aren’t married are at the hands of their common-law spouses, boyfriends, or domestic partners.

Moreover, the rate of victimization of children varies widely according to marital status of the parents. British data on child abuse show that rates of serious abuse of children are lowest in the intact married family with both biological parents, six times higher in the step family, 14 times higher in the single-mother family, 20 times higher in cohabiting, biological parent families, and 33 times higher when the mother is cohabiting with a boyfriend who is not the father of her children.

And so whether the aim is to gain an electoral advantage or to adopt a sensible policy that is both uniquely conservative and beneficial to Canadian society, Stephen Harper is to be commended for continuing to champion the cause of traditional families. His is an agenda of principle in pursuit of a greater good for Canada and future generations of Canadians. Let’s hope he isn’t forced to travel that path alone.

Joseph C. Ben-Ami is Executive Director of Policy Studies.