The federal government says from now on the flag atop the Peace Tower in Ottawa will not be lowered to half-mast in honour of fallen Canadian soldiers.

The Conservatives point to protocol that says only the deaths of former governors general, senators and prime ministers are marked by lowering the flag.

"Proper military protocol has been restored and that, for most of the military, that is something they support," said Peter Van Loan, the parliamentary secretary to the minister of foreign affairs.

The Conservatives point to protocol as the determining factor regarding flags. (CBC)

The government was reacting to a seemingly ad hoc approach that has developed over the past few years and has led some people to question the policy. Some of the soldiers who have died recently in Afghanistan have been honoured in such a manner, but not all.

The deaths of the four soldiers in Afghanistan on the weekend brought the issue to the fore. Some MPs said it was a mistake not to lower the flag on the Peace Tower.

"Soldiers go to war because of the decision of the government and this is the seat of government of Canada," said Liberal MP Andrew Telegdi, "and for sure the symbol, the flag, should be flying at half-mast when we lose a member of the military in combat."

NDP defence critic Dawn Black agreed. "If its lowered for senators, why not for fallen soldiers?"

For more than 80 years Canada honoured its war dead by lowering flags on federal buildings on Remembrance Day. But former prime minister Jean Chrétien changed that in April 2002. When four Canadian soldiers were killed by U.S. bombs in Afghanistan, the flag on the Peace Tower was lowered to half-mast.

But the flag wasn't lowered in November 2005, when a Canadian private was killed in a traffic accident near Kandahar.

The government says that in the event of a death flags will fly at half-mast at the soldier's operational base, at his or her home base, and at Defence Headquarters in Ottawa.

But Liberal Leader Bill Graham says he still believes Canadians would like to see the flag lowered on the Peace Tower.

"The fact of the matter is, we chose to enter into this combat, we chose to stand behind our troops, I believe as a country Canadians want us to respect them," said Graham.