News

CALGARY, Alberta, April 14, 2014 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Conservative MP Rob Anders, known as one of the strongest pro-family voices in the House of Commons, has lost the nomination battle for the newly created riding of Calgary-Signal Hill to a former Alison Redford cabinet minister who says abortion and same-sex “marriage” are the “law of the land” and it’s wrong for MPs to try to “reopen” debate on those issues.

Ron Liepert, former finance minister under former Alberta Premier Alison Redford, won the nomination on the weekend by a comfortable margin, despite Anders being endorsed by cabinet heavyweight Jason Kenney.

Anders had held the riding since 1997.

Image

Campaign Life Coalition had backed Anders, encouraging supporters to join the Conservative Party and vote for him.

“He had a perfect voting record. We’re sorry to see him go,” said CLC’s Jeff Gunnarson. “We hope he will reappear in some other capacity or perhaps even another riding.”

“As someone who has been a staunch supporter of the pro-life and pro-family cause, few MPs were as outspoken as he was,” said Sharon-Rose Milan of Campaign Life Coalition Alberta. “Because of this, we will miss him greatly in Parliament.”

Click “like” if you are PRO-LIFE!

“This is a perfect example of how all pro-lifers need to be actively involved in the nomination process in their ridings so that we can elect more pro-life candidates to the House of Commons,” she said.

At the 2013 National March for Life in Ottawa, Anders urged pro-lifers to support pro-life MPs at nomination meetings in their ridings, saying that pro-life MPs “have taken strong stands and they have made enemies.”

During his nomination campaign, Liepert took exception to Anders’ pro-life voting record.

“The federal government has long ago settled those issues,” Liepert told LifeSiteNews in a telephone interview earlier this year when asked about his views on abortion and same-sex “marriage”.

“They are laws of the land. We honor the laws of the land and it’s not appropriate at this time for Mr. Anders or any other Member of Parliament to be trying to go against the wishes of the majority and try to reopen these debates. So far as I’m concerned, it’s done and over with,” he said.

Anders will be remembered for standing up for true marriage. Speaking to the House in 2005 about Bill C-38, which redefined marriage, he said: “I, like many on this side of the House, believe in the traditional common law definition of marriage as the union of one man and one woman to the exclusion of all others.”

Anders will also be remembered as the lone voice in the House of Commons opposing the 2001 move by Prime Minister Jean Chretien to have the House unanimously declare Nelson Mandela an honorary citizen of Canada. Anders’ opposition based on Mandela’s ties to terrorism and communism only managed to stall the move.