By John Jalsevac
OTTAWA, ON, January 5, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Canadian Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper has again restated his intention not to re-open the debate on abortion in Canada.
Harper’s denial – the latest in a recent series of emphatic statements on the issue – came in response to controversy surrounding remarks by Conservative Winnipeg MP Rod Bruinooge, the newly elected chairman of the Canadian parliamentary pro-life caucus, a position formerly held by Liberal MP Tom Wappel.
In an opinion piece published in the National Post on December, 29, entitled “Why I Am Pro-Life,” Bruinooge explained that Canada has one of the most extreme abortion laws in the world.
Most Canadians would agree, he said, “that an unborn child in the ninth month of gestation, moments away from delivery, should not be eligible for an elective abortion. However, regardless of the fact that this would be an extremely poor bioethical choice, it is in fact legal.”
“I have no choice but to advocate for the unborn and seek to have their value restored in my Canada. Our collective future depends on it,” he said.
The opinion piece set off a national furor, particularly due to Bruinooge’s statements about the existence of the parliamentary pro-life caucus, the purpose of which is to lobby for pro-life legislation. The membership of the caucus is secret, but according to Bruinooge it includes members from every political party, a revelation that has been the source of much speculation, due to the strongly pro-abortion platforms of all of the parties other than the Conservative Party.
Canadian abortion extremists responded to Bruinooge’s comments by suggesting that they were further evidence that the Conservative Party is on the road to reopening the abortion debate in parliament. Joyce Arthur, co-ordinator of the Abortion Rights Coalition of Canada, said, “It’s something that the Conservative party is out of touch with because Canadians don’t want to go back to the abortion debate.”
However, Conservative PM Stephen Harper has emphatically denied the speculation.
“Throughout his political career, the prime minister has been clear on this issue,” said Dimitri Soudas, a spokesman for the prime minister. “We will not introduce or support legislation on abortion.”
Despite assurances from Harper, abortion supporters have repeatedly accused the PM of having a “hidden agenda” to restrict abortion in Canada. But in the lead-up to the recent election Harper repeatedly denied the speculation. In late September the PM told reporters, “This government will not open, will not permit anyone to open the abortion debate. Our position is clear.”
Some mainstream reporting on Bruinooge’s remarks erroneously reported that the secret pro-life caucus was only just established, when in fact it has existed for over a decade, and has seen a diverse membership. The former chairman, Liberal MP Tom Wappel, was recognized as one of Canada’s foremost and most outspoken pro-life advocates.
In a letter to the editor in the Globe and Mail today, Bruinooge responded to the paper’s misreporting, saying, “The parliamentary pro-life caucus is no secret, and your reporter is amiss to give the impression it’s newly established. The only thing that’s recently changed is that I have been elected caucus chair. This one change has grown into quite a story, which is fine, but let’s keep the facts straight.
“This all-party caucus is more than 10 years old, and has been chaired by Liberal, NDP and Conservative MPs. Members have never kept its existence a secret. Not all members are as vocal about their views as I am, because other party leaders do not tolerate their MPs speaking out on issues of conscience.”
Bruinooge also came to the defense of Harper, saying that at least he, unlike other party leaders, gives his MPs the freedom to hold to their views. “The media have portrayed Stephen Harper as controlling, but he is one party leader who has been clear about his views and still given MPs, like me, room to be clear about ours,” said Bruinooge.
In its report on the issue, the Globe and Mail indicated that it had asked Liberal Party leader Michael Ignatieff if he would “allow” his members to participate in pro-life activities. A spokesman for Ignatieff refused to answer, saying only that such questions were “speculative.”