Abortion

1. In terms of your personal views, do you consider yourself:
a) pro-life
b) pro-choice
c) pro-abortion
d) pro-life with exceptions (for life of mother, rape, incest)

Day:
pro-life

Manning:
pro-life

2. When does human life begin?
a) fertilization
b) implantation
c) when brain waves are detected
d) when the mother decides to carry to term
e) other (specify)

Day:
fertilization

Manning:
fertilization (that is, conception)

3. Would you like to see restrictions on access to abortion in Canada?

Day:
Yes, I would like to see legal protection of all innocent human life in Canada.

Manning:
Yes, Canada, with absolutely no legal restrictions on abortion, is very much outside the consensus of other western democracies. the federal government must act to define the rights of the unborn, and the specific nature of this protection should be settled through a broad public debate ending in a national referendum.

4. Would you support measure to cut taxpayer funding of abortions?

Day:
Yes, and I have already done so publicly in Alberta.

Manning:
The allocation of funding for medical services, including abortion, is a provincial responsibility. However, should a province restrict funding, my government would strongly support their right to do so – just as we support provincial decisions on medical care delivery in other areas

5. Would you support measures to protect the freedom of religion for health care workers who are pressured to take part in abortion in violation of their consciences?

Day:
Yes, and have done so in the Alberta Legislature.

Manning:
Given that the Charter of Rights and Freedoms gives precedence to “freedom of conscience and religion” in listing the fundamental freedoms of Canadians, I support the principle that health care workers should not be forced to violate their deeply held convictions in order to keep their jobs.

6. Would you initiate any public discussion on the issue of abortion or initiate any legislative measures toend abortion?

Day:
I have, and would continue to initiate broad public discussion of the protection of innocent human life. I would undertake measures that will allow Members of Parliament and private citizens to bring forward legislative measures protecting life through free votes and citizens’ initiated referenda, and I will support any pro-life measures brought forward through these processes.

Manning:
In my judgement, it is the necessity of establishing a regulatory regime to deal with reproductive and genetic technologies which will force Parliament to address the question of defining the rights of the unborn. I would very much encourage Parliament to address this issue because of its immediate urgency, and once it does so any decision concerning the rights of the unborn will automatically have a bearing on the abortion issue.
As Prime Minister I would initiate a broad public dialogue followed by a national referendum on establishing legal rights for the unborn so that Canadians can decide for themselves how they want to deal with this issue. I would also pass legislation to permit “citizens’ initiatives” so that Canadians themselves could initiate a referendum on this issue should a government be disinclined to do so.
We must remember that Canada has no abortion law at all – not because Canadians so decided, but because in 1986 the judges of the Supreme Court took it upon themselves to overrule Parliament and strike down the law. To complicate the issue, the un-elected Senate later rejected a bill which would have restricted abortion access. Neither judges nor Senators, accountable only to themselves, or even elected MPs, ought to be able to make such decisions for the whole nation. Instead, legitimacy for any abortion law can come only when: 1) all pertinent statistics and information (e.g. health outcomes) are made public; 2) people of every opinion freely debate the issue, in Parliament, in town halls and around kitchen tables, without the intimidation or coercion which so often characterizes this issue; and 3) following this open debate, the people of Canada make an informed choice which leads to the appropriate legislation. We cannot pretend that this is not a divisive issue. Strong opinions are held on both sides. And those of us who support protecting the unborn may well fear that we will not win what we believe is right. That is all the more reason for us to work to convince our friends and neighbours to support our views. But if we believe in democracy and responsible government, we must trust the people of Canada to decide such fundamental issues.