A recent news story by Peter O'Neil of the Vancouver Sun noted that several pro-marriage groups in Canada "want Prime Minister Stephen Harper to order a royal commission on marriage and the family"-an idea the CHP proposed last summer, before Parliament reconvened.

The news story quotes an Alberta political scientist: "They will have absolutely no success. He's not one of them… The gay marriage vote went according to plan. They (the Conservative government) had no intention of winning it."

He also implied that the government can continue to take social conservatives for granted, because so-cons "have no electoral option, and the threat of simply sitting on their hands in the next election will only weaken their cause."

He's right on all counts-except the last one: because social conservatives, in 20 percent of the ridings across Canada, do have an electoral option: the CHP.

And in the other 80 percent of ridings, so-cons can put even more pressure on the Tories by helping to organize CHP Electoral District Associations, and helping to nominate, fund and support CHP candidates.

With an election likely to be called in late April or early May for a June vote, there's still time- but only if social conservatives get to work soon. What needs to be done? Here's the list:

• Contact the CHP National Office at 1-888-868-3247 to join up and get active.
• Find out for the CHP National Office if there's a CHP Electoral District Association and/or candidate in your riding. If there is, get in touch with them and get active.
• If there's no EDA or candidate in your riding, get in contact with existing CHP members in your riding, and work with them to get an EDA started; it's not difficult, but you need a half-dozen or more members who are willing to serve as the EDA Executive.
• Start fund-raising NOW for the spring election. Start signing up members; you can get a promotional DVD from the CHP National Office, and membership application forms.
• Start a candidate search committee. Advice and guidance is available from the CHP National Office.

Peter O'Neil's news story seemed to imply that social conservatives are defeated, because the Tory government has abandoned their cause. But of course, we knew a long time ago that the new 'Conservatives' would not defend innocent life or the family. They had said so! But that's not a defeat for so-cons; it's only a wake-up call-and a good reason to talk to others who mistakenly put their trust in a weak reed.

But the time to get up and get going is NOW!