News

WELLAND, Ontario, Mon Apr 4, 2011 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Conservative Leader Stephen Harper has reaffirmed his previous promises never to address the questions of protection for Canada’s unborn children, or same-sex “marriage.”

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On a swing through the Niagara region today, Harper told reporters he has “no intention of opening up” debate in Parliament on these issues.

“Our agenda is the same agenda with a majority government or a minority government,” he said when asked if he would look at these questions if elected with a majority.

“We will govern on the platform we are elected on,” he told reporters. “On the other matters you mention (abortion and gay marriage), they are not in the Conservative platform. I have no intention of opening up those issues.”

In the last election campaign in 2008, when asked by a reporter if he could give assurances to pro-abortion groups who were accusing him of having a “hidden agenda” that he supports the status quo on abortion, Harper said, “The answer is yes. This government will not open, will not permit anyone to open the abortion debate. Our position is clear.”

“It’s the position we took in the last parliament,” Harper stated. “Our position in the future is that this government will not open the abortion debate and will not allow another opening of the abortion debate.”

In 2006, Harper told reporters on the campaign trail in Quebec: “The Conservative government won’t be initiating or supporting abortion legislation, and I’ll use whatever influence I have in Parliament to be sure that such a matter doesn’t come to a vote. I will use whatever influence I have to keep that off of the agenda, and I don’t see any likelihood of that in the next Parliament.”

In a pre-election interview with CBC’s Peter Mansbridge this January, Harper again dismissed the subject of abortion, saying he would refuse to address the issue even if the Conservatives won a majority.

To Mansbridge’s question, “Would you reopen the abortion issue?” if the Conservatives attained a majority government, Harper replied, “No, no, I’ve spent my political career trying to stay out of that issue.”

Jim Hughes, National President of Campaign Life Coalition Canada, told LifeSiteNews.com at the time, “We have been telling people since the beginning that Harper is pro-abortion and has no intention of changing his mind even if he ever does achieve a majority.”

Campaign Life Coalition (CLC) is encouraging pro-life Canadians to become involved and work toward electing more pro-life members of Parliament.

“There’s nothing more important in this election than making sure you vote pro-life,” said Hughes last week. “Granting legal protection to unborn children is the civil rights movement of our time.”

CLC’s comprehensive candidate evaluations on life and family issues are available through CLC’s website.  These evaluations include CLC’s rating, candidate’s voting records where applicable, and quotes.

CLC’s full election resources are available here.

Contact information for all MPs is available here.