By John-Henry Westen
OTTAWA, May 31, 2006 (LifeSiteNews.com) – LifeSiteNews.com has learned that an unborn victims of violence act that would have seen murderers of pregnant women charged with the death of the unborn child as well as his or her mother has been deemed non-votable by a parliamentary subcommittee.Â
The bill (C-291), proposed May 17 by Conservative MP Leon Benoit, was, according to parliamentary sources, rejected as unconstitutional by an all party committee with a Conservative MP chairing giving the Conservatives the largest representation on the committee.ÂÂ The committee is comprised of Chairman Joe Preston (Conservative), Scott Reid (Conservative), Derek Lee (Liberal), Pauline Picard (BQ), Jean Crowder (NDP).
Benoit’s bill is the only private members bill, other than the one to support traditional marriage, to be deemed non-votable since Parliament changed procedural rules to assume all bills voteable unless specifically targeted as problematic by the committee.Â
Sources have also informed LifeSiteNews.com that the decision will be appealed.
Mary Ellen Douglas of Campaign Life Coalition told LifeSiteNews.com that she was disturbed at the rejection of the common sense legislation.“As a grandmother waiting for the birth of my grandchild, I would be horrified to find that a murderer of my daughter would not also be charged with the murder of my grandchild.”
Douglas’ hypothetical situation is a reality for Alberta’s Mary Talbot. Talbot, who last year lost her 19-year-old daughter, Olivia, and her daughter’s unborn son last month when her daughter was shot to death in her Edmonton home, has been demanding similar legislation at the provincial level. (see coverage: https://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2005/dec/05121906.html)
The measure has at least bi-partisan support. Liberal MP Paul Szabo supports the measure. Szabo told LifeSiteNews.com today that “The bill in itself is certainly something we should debate and I’d certainly like to see the mood of the house on this.”
Related coverage:
Unborn Victims of Violence Bill Proposed in Canadian Parliament by Conservative MP
https://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2006/may/06051705.html