Analysis by Steve Jalsevac
OTTAWA, June 27, 2006 (LifeSiteNews.com) – The abortion position of Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper was starkly highlighted by his June 6 scuttling of Conservative MP Leon Benoit’s Private Member’s Bill C-291. Harper’s paranoia over the “A” issue was especially noteworthy since the Benoit bill was not about abortion. It rather only sought to criminalize harming an unborn child when a pregnant mother is assaulted or murdered.
The quick killing of C-291 at its very earliest stage, justified by Justice Minister Vic Toews’ questionable direction to the Standing Committee on Procedural and House Affairs, (https://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2006/jun/06060608.html) is causing some Conservative supporters to take a second, hard look at the Prime Minister’s beliefs.
Many still think that Stephen Harper, despite his blunt statements to the contrary, is genuinely pro-life but is following a temporary but necessary political strategy of laying very low on the issue until the Conservatives win a majority. Then, it is said, he will free some of his MPs from his currentlyÂrigid control, to propose private members’ bills that would gradually increase protection for Canada’s unborn children.
Based on easily obtainable evidence, however, such a scenario appears unlikely to ever happen as long as Harper is Conservative Party leader and Prime Minister. In fact it remains to be seen whether even an opposition member will be allowed to introduce and have a vote taken on a bill deemed in any way related to changing the abortion status quo.
Nevertheless, Conservatives Seen as Big Improvement Over Liberals
Despite the foregoing, Stephen Harper and the Conservative government are so far seen by Canada’s social conservatives and pro-life leaders as a substantial improvement over the previous corrupt, social extremist Liberal regime.
The current government does not have any stated agenda to expand abortion support, depopulation policies or the gay agenda, although a reply by Harper to an international feminist group does cause some serious concern. The Conservatives currently oppose legalizing euthanasia, assisted suicide, marijuana possession and prostitution, thereby reversing government direction on these issues under the Liberals.
Conservative bills on direct-to-parents day care funding, raising the age of consent for sex, new accountability measures to eliminate government corruption, plus the appointment of what seems to have been the best of three candidates to fill the Supreme Court vacancy, and much more, make this government a most welcome contrast to the previous regime.
The Prime Minister has repeatedly said that he is committed to protecting Canadians’ religious rights. He told Faith Today magazine that “A Conservative government will be vigilant to ensure that freedom of religion is protected in Canada” and that “It’s perfectly legitimate for citizens and legislators to take into account their own deeply held faith convictions in developing public policy.” In a Jan. 2006 CBC News biography on Harper it was stated he views Canada’s unaccountable, out-of-control human rights commissions to be “an attack on our fundamental freedoms”.
After his election this year Harper stunned the media and other Canadians by regularly ending his speeches with “God bless Canada”. This has not been heard for many years from Canadian Prime Ministers whoÂfor the pastÂfew decades have gone out of their way to avoid, and even actively suppress, any acknowledgement of God in their speeches or statements by anyone else at government sponsored events.
So why would pro-life, pro-family Canadians still be concerned? It appears obvious now that the Liberal, NDP and BLOC parties are completely unacceptable alternatives as currently constituted, with the notable exception of some MPs who courageously act to defend life and family, regardless of their leader’s and party’s direction.
Decline in Respect For Life Will Continue If Abortion Not Addressed
To pro-life minded Canadians abortion has always been understood to be a violent individual and mass killing of the most innocent of all living humans. For them, as for any other citizens, there are of course many other important issues. However, for genuinely pro-life Canadians, none come close to the barbarism of what Canada is allowing to be done to over 100,000 of its tiniest children each year – funded, protected and abetted by all levels of government, the courts, law enforcement and numerous public institutions.
So, for Canadians who understand the evil of abortion, if this issue is not addressed and at least begun to be resolved, our nation will certainly continue to descend into dangerous social breakdown, regardless of temporary economic and political improvements. The inevitable, on-going decline in respect for all human life will endanger everyone.
|
“In my entire career, I’ve made it clear that I have no intention of getting into the abortion issue. It has not been my issue in my entire career. And it won’t be in the future” |
The extreme injustice of continuing the abortion status quo cannot be mitigated by positive actions on other issues by a new government, however praiseworthy or well intended. As well, as long as abortion continues, it is very unlikely that the spread of its dark offspring of infanticide, euthanasia, assisted suicide and all manner of other attacks on life and the intimately connected natural family and marriage can be halted for long.
As well, there are nagging questions often mentioned about the sincerity or depth of Harper’s commitment to protecting marriage. Regardless of what happens in the upcoming marriage vote, the Prime Minister is firm that “existing” same-sex “marriages will be protected” and any new law that his government would propose would grant “civil unions…the same rights and benefits and obligations as married persons”. Semantics clearly play a major role in the Harper strategy on this one.
And then, there is the question whether a government that is so fanatically determined to derail the slightest attempt to alter the abortion status quo, regardless of its currently large number of social conservative MPs, can really be trusted to give genuine priority to actions on ANY contentious moral issue plaguing our social foundation and health.
Abortion Has Never Been an Issue For Harper
The CBC National News stated in its January 2006 Stephen Harper biography that Harper’s “first passion” is economics. Narrator Gillian Gindlay added, “The first speech Harper ever gave was all about economic injustice” and “Above all, Harper was a fiscal conservative.”
So it is no surprise that the Prime Minister told Maclean’s magazine in its March 1, 2006 edition: “In my entire career, I’ve made it clear that I have no intention of getting into the abortion issue. It has not been my issue in my entire career. And it won’t be in the future.”
As for Reform/Alliance/Conservative Party social conservative members and social conservative organizations, the CBC biography revealed, Harper was not too concerned about them since he believed “all they had to do was control these people.”
It might be hoped, however, that over time Harper will be influenced by some of the exceptional members in his caucus to open his heart and mind and to re-consider some of his positions. Realistically, though, that may not be possible since the Prime Minister is known to be extremely single-minded about his views and not easily influenced by anyone.
However, it is at least better to know now the man who heads the party elected to govern our nation than to believe in a self comforting fiction. That fiction helps no one, least of all Stephen Harper, to grow and to act for the true long term welfare of Canada.
Harper Has Never Aspired to Power
One thing that gives an extra glimmer of hope that Harper may eventually be open to re-examining his views on life issues in government policy is something stated in the CBC biography. Gillian Gindlay states about Harper, “A politician who never aspired to power, has got it.”
Harper is certainly a rarity in that respect, as well as being an uncommonly common man in the highest position in the land. Since power has not been his goal and his life status is similar to that of many ordinary Canadians, perhaps there is a greater likelihood that he will eventually be moved to hear the cry of the unborn and their often damaged mothers.
Startling Evidence in Part II
Part II of this Special Report contains a sometimes startling record of quotes by Stephen Harper and quotes about him by others. These reveal truths about the man that some of his fans very much want to avoid facing.
However, they will be faced now or later regardless, since over time they will influence policies affecting our nation.
** See Part II of this LifeSiteNews.com Special Report **
Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper Not Pro-Life – The Evidence
https://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2006/jun/060627a.html