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Canada's Liberal Party Leader Vows to Block Unborn Victims of Crime Bill

Intergovernmental Affairs Minister blasts Dion, expresses support for bill

By Tim Waggoner

OTTAWA, ON, June 6, 2008 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Liberal leader Stephane Dion was blasted yesterday by Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Rona Ambrose after he vowed to block a bill seeking to protect wanted unborn children from violent crimes. 

Bill C-484, which was proposed by Conservative MP Ken Epp (Edmonton-Sherwood Park), and which has cleared second reading, proposes penalties of up to life in prison for anyone "who, directly or indirectly causes the death of a child during birth or at any stage of development before birth while committing or attempting to commit an offence against the mother of the child, who the person knows or ought to know is pregnant."

Dion did not vote during the bill's first reading last year because he was at home with his wife hosting a party in honor of International Women's Day.  Attendees at the party were, according to Parliament Hill buzz, less than pleased with the result of the vote.

After the private member's bill cleared the second reading in March, however, the Liberal leader felt more convicted to interject in its proceedings, condemning it at a news conference yesterday on Parliament Hill and expressing his belief that the bill could reopen the abortion debate. 

"I want to give my word to all the women of Canada that the Liberal Party of Canada is against (reopening) woman's right to decide as a debate," said Dion. "We will not allow that to happen."

However, supporters of the bill have repeatedly pointed out that the legislation is worded in such a way as to ensure that it could never be used to affect the way abortion is treated in the country. The bill clearly states that only those who cause the death of an unborn without a mother's consent will be prosecuted, which wording protects the status quo for abortion in Canada.

Further, despite Dion's sweeping statement about the position of the Liberal Party on the whole, already 27 MPs in his party have shown their support for Epp's bill.
 
Ambrose, who has worked in women's shelters, was outraged by Dion's comments and addressed Dion's linking of C-484 with a "woman's right to choose."

"That debate is over," said Ambrose. "It was over a long time ago, but there is an issue of protecting pregnant women who choose to have a baby.

"I think he's taking a very partisan tack on what could be a very non-partisan issue that we could address together," Ambrose said. "I think he's fear-mongering women on this issue.

"When a woman does make a choice to have a child and she is attacked violently by someone . . . with the intention of killing her and her child, there should be repercussions for that."

Ambrose further commented on the necessity of bill C-484, saying that there exists a "loophole" in Canada's current Criminal Code that allows a person who harms a wanted unborn child to escape without prosecution.

Dion's disparaging remarks of the bill place him in a minority group. An October 2007 poll found that 72% of Canadians and 75% of women would support legislation making it a separate crime to injure or kill an unborn child during an attack on the mother

The poll also showed that voter support cuts across party lines, with 77% of Conservatives, 71% of Liberals, 71% of Bloc, and 66% of NDP expressing support for the bill.

Bill C-484 was cleared from second reading in the House of Commons in March, but according to the Toronto Star, will likely not reach the third reading until the fall.

For related coverage:

Abortion Rights Politicians Unwilling to Stand up for "Choice" to Allow Unborn Life
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2008/mar/08030405.html

Canadian Unborn Victims of Violent Crime Bill Passes Second Reading
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2008/mar/08030510.html

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