Harper’s New Senate Appointee Claimed Being Gay is a Choice

Don Meredith was one of two people tapped on Monday to fill vacancies in the Senate.

It’s not hard to see why Stephen Harper chose to elevate Meredith to the Senate. The ordained minister has been active in community anti-gun initiatives in Toronto for years and fits perfectly into the Conservative’s tough-on-crime platform. But comments he made to gay lifestyle magazine Xtra will have some Canadians wondering if Harper is also trying to appeal to his social conservative base. When Meredith was running against Bob Rae in 2008, he told Xtra, “It's the right of individuals to choose their orientation.” Harper also appointed former CFL commissioner and Montreal Alouettes player Larry Smith to the Senate yesterday, a move some see as a sign that Ottawa intends to fund a controversial hockey arena in Québec City.