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Ontario Election '99 Pro-Life Analysis

TORONTO, June 4 (LSN) - The Ontario election held last night saw Mike Harris's Progressive Conservative government returned to power. Political commentators note that it was mainly a two-party race in most ridings with the NDP doing so poorly that it lost party status gaining only 9 of a needed 12 seats. The Conservatives won a slightly higher percentage of seats from the last election (45.1% compared to 44.8% in 1995), but they lost three cabinet ministers, in one case a major victory for moral conservatism. The Liberals gained almost 9% in seats, giving them 35 against the Tories' 59 seats.

Conservative cabinet minister Isabel Bassett, who was the Minister of Citizenship, Culture and Recreation when the election was called went down to defeat to Liberal Michael Bryant in the downtown Toronto riding of St. Paul's. Strictly speaking Bryant is not considered an improvement over Basset on life and family issues, but Bassett, with her influence in cabinet was seen as a major stumbling block to the advancement of a pro-life, pro-family agenda.

One surprising defeat was the ousting of Conservative Education Minister Dave Johnson. The Liberal victor, David Caplan, is believed to be less friendly than Johnson on life issues. On education, the issue that apparently destroyed the cabinet minister, some conservative commentators were disappointed that Johnson had not provided alternatives in his education reform agenda. Tim Bloedow, publisher of The Conservative Times, said that "instead of maintaining his staunch defence of Ontario's public education industry, he should have promoted charter schools, privatization, home education and other real alternatives that would have gained more votes from concerned parents."

Pro-lifers suffered their share of losses in the election, notably PC MPP Jim Brown who was the most active Tory legislator on life and family issues and chairman of the PC Family Values Caucus. He lost to another incumbent, Liberal MPP Gerry Phillips, in Scarborough- Agincourt. Brown's campaign suffered major opposition including dirty campaign tactics such as the distribution of anonymous hate literature, the loss of over 600 election signs, and the occupation of his campaign office by Anti-Racist Action, an extremist left-wing organization which advocates violence. Other pro-life MPP's who failed to be re-elected include David Boushy of Sarnia-Lambton and Tom Froese of St Catherines, both Tories.

Ontario has also elected its "first openly gay MPP" (from his campaign literature) with Toronto Centre-Rosedale's Liberal George Smitherman. He told Campaign Life: "I believe in a woman's right to make her own decisions about her reproductive health. And I'll say so - in very clear terms, I am pro-choice."

Pro-abortion forces suffered major loses with the ousting of NDP MPP Marion Boyd. Boyd was likely the most obvious pro-abortion activist in Queen's Park. She spear-headed the NDP injunction against pro-life protest at Ontario abortion facilities which has led to the repeated imprisonment of peaceful protestor Linda Gibbons. Family Values Caucus member Gary Guzzo trounced NDP MPP Alex Cullen in Ottawa West Nepean. Pro-abortion NDP MPP Tony Silipo of Davenport lost to Liberal MPP Tony Ruprecht.

The ranking of the Family Coalition Party as Ontario's fourth largest party has been called into question. Running only 37 candidates they were beaten in numbers by the Green Party with 58 candidates. In ridings where both the FCP and Greens ran, the latter faired better overall. FCP votes did not reach 4% in any riding, a substantial drop from previous years.

Although the Tories have done extremely little for life and family in their last term there is some consolation in the significant number of individual Tory MPPs who are social conservatives. Campaign Life Coalition leaders suggest that If these MPPs decide to place more emphasis this time on their obligations to the voters and their personal principles on social issues there is hope of some gains.

CLC sent a congratulatory communication today to all the winners also stating "A strong, healthy democracy demands that politicians always be accountable first to the electorate and the needs of the people rather than to a party or government bureaucrats." It also stated "You are encouraged to strengthen and protect Ontario's families, especially the most vulnerable members - those in their mother's womb, the handicapped and the elderly or chronically ill."

For a riding by riding breakdown of the vote see:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/gam/OntarioElection/19990604/URESU.html http://election.radio-canada.com/on/resultats/liste_circ_alpha.asp?Langue=e

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