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Campaign Life Coalition's Pro-Life Petition Campaign a Great Success – 30,500 Signatures, So Far

By Thaddeus M. Baklinski

OTTAWA, June 18, 2009 (LIfeSIteNews.com) - The pro-life petition campaign undertaken in anticipation of this year's landmark National March for Life in Ottawa has proven to be a phenomenal success, with over 30,500 signatures collected to date and more coming in daily.

Launched by Canada's national pro-life organization, Campaign Life Coalition (CLC), in March, the petition calls for legal protection of human life from the moment of conception to natural death, with the signed petitions being forwarded to Members of Parliament who then present them in the House of Commons.

Jonathan Castellino of CLC told LifeSiteNews.com (LSN) this morning that response to the petition campaign has been so positive, with signed petitions daily pouring in to the CLC offices, that the campaign will be extended. He encourages pro-lifers to continue collecting signatures and sending in filled petitions. (To download the petition click here)

The incoming petitions have been presented in Parliament 23 times by eighteen MPs. The first was presented on May 11 by Liberal MP Paul Szabo, representing Mississauga South, with the most recent being presented today by Canadian Conservative Party MP Leon Benoit of Vegreville-Wainwright.

During the National March for Life, twenty-seven students from St. Thomas More High School in Hamilton, Ontario, took the opportunity to visit their Member of Parliament, NDP Chris Charlton, to present her with their collected signatures.

Though MP Charlton stated she does not support the content of the petition, she presented the students' petition to the House on June 3^rd.

"Mr. Speaker,” said Charlton in presenting the petitions, “I rise in the House today to present a petition that is signed by students at St. Thomas More High School in my riding of Hamilton Mountain. Twenty-seven of the students came to Ottawa to participate in the March for Life and used the opportunity to give my office their petition calling for a legislative reversal of the current law on abortion.

"I want to commend these students for their engagement in the political process. They clearly understand that in a democratic country like Canada, it is their right to express their views directly to the House of Commons by petitioning Parliament.

"While the rules of the House do not allow me to endorse or oppose the call for action in any petition, I think it is important for all constituents in my riding to know that as their member of Parliament I fully support the right of all citizens to have their voices heard in this chamber through the petition process, even in cases where I do not support the content of the petition itself.

"For that reason, I am pleased to table this petition on behalf of the students of St. Thomas More, and look forward to working with them on the full spectrum of issues that confront us as elected members in the House."

Petition Campaign organizer Mary-Ellen Douglas told LifeSiteNews that a note of thanks to MPs who have presented petitions to the House would be appropriate and appreciated.

"Please take the time to congratulate your MP if he or she has stood in the House to defend life," she said.

MPs who have presented the pro-life petition to Parliament include:

- Gurbax Malhi (L) (Bramalea-Gore-Malton) - May 7, 2009; June 9, 2009

- Paul Szabo (L)   (Mississauga South) - May 11/09; May 13/09; May 15/09

- David Sweet (CPC) (Ancaster-Dundas-Flamborough-Westdale) - May 14/09; June 17/09

- Colin Mayes (CPC) Okanagan-Shuswap) - May 14/09

- Stephen Woodworth (CPC) Kitchener Centre) - May 14/09

- Dan McTeague (L) (Scarborough East) - May 27/09

- Tom Lukiwski (CPC) Regina- Lake Centre) - May 29/09

- Gord Brown (CPC) (Leeds-Grenville) - June 1/09

- Bev Shipley (CPC) (Lambton-Kent-Middlesex) - June 1/09

- Chris Charlton (NDP) (Hamilton Mountain) - June 3, 2009

- Pierre Lemieux(CPC) (Glengarry-Prescott-Russell) - June 10/09

- Mark Warawa (CPC) (Langley) - June 10/09

- Ed Fast (CPC) Abbotsford) - June 15/09

- Joy Smith (CPC) Kildonan-St. Paul) - June 16/09

- Cheryl Gallant (CPC) (Renfrew-Nippissing-Pembroke) - June 17/09

- Dean Allison (CPC) (Niagara West-Glanbrook) - June 17/09

- Maurice Vellacott (CPC) Saskatoon-Wanuskewin) - June 17/09

- Leon Benoit (CPC) (Vegreville-Wainwright)  - June 17/09; June 18, 2009

Download the CLC Pro-life Petition here.

See previous LSN coverage:

Pro-Life Petitions Read To Canadian Parliament  

Campaign Life Coalition Pro-Life Petition Drive Gathers Momentum - Download Petition Forms Here 



Campaign Life Coalition Launches Pro-Life Petition Drive in Lead up to Landmark 40th Anniversary March for Life

 

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