CALGARY, February 4, 2002 (LSN.ca) - During Saturday’s Canadian Alliance leadership debate in Calgary, candidate Stephen Harper attacked former Alliance leader Stockwell Day for his ties with pro-life Canadians. “I see lots of evidence on the ground that what he is actually pushing is essentially the same thing as his last election - that this has to be a pro-life party,” he told reporters.
“Obviously I think it’s important that the party’s position is that we don’t have a party position on abortion - that it’s not a litmus test and that we’re open to people with a wide range of views on that issue,” said Harper. “It’s fairly obvious that that campaign is focused on that issue, and that that organization is taking shape.”
Day responded saying, “I’m here to say that for all of our citizens, part of my job is to represent them, and if they have a legitimate interest and legitimate concern, then our party is the only party that has a way of addressing that, and that is through open and democratic discussion and a vote on whatever the issue might be. No group will be barred as long as I am leader.”
See the coverage in the Toronto Star: http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1012691048303&call_page=TS_News&call_pageid=968332188492&call_pagepath=News/News