Updates: yeah the shit is hitting the fan over this one Might turn good in the long run though:
1) The legal opinion offered by the Justice department is obviously idiotic and will probably be overturned. If it were true, marriages between people like interracial couples or other people denied marriage in their home countries who come to Canada to marry would also be null. It also implies our laws are overruled by foreign laws. Who makes Canadian law? Canadians, or Florida state? To say nothing of this not being an established opinion for the past seven years and everything being seen as perfectly legal since 2005. I'm pretty sure LOLSURPRISE is not going to hold up well legally.
2) This is just on the heels of a Harper MP trying to sneak in anti-abortion legislation. They're pulling out all the stops to go backwards.
3) This makes Chrétien look like a genius soothsayer. The Liberals had him do a fearmongering fundraising letter a month ago threatening that Harper would begin a culture war. At the time, I thought it made a good pitch, but that Harper was disciplined enough not to play into Chretien's hands. Guess he really just can't let go of that lever.
4) No matter how much Harper protests, no matter how hard he brings this to a stop, it will be extremely difficult for him to ever again shake the "The Harper conservatives have a secret agenda and have always had a secret agenda" meme. He's brushed it off before, but I think it'll stick this time. And if he doesn't put in a damn good show of fighting this ruling, all bets are off on his future.