RENFREW, Ontario, June 16, 2004 (LifeSiteNews.com) – The NDP candidate for the Ontario federal riding of Renfrew-Nipissing-Pembroke, claiming to be a member of Our Lady of Fatima Catholic church in Renfrew, said “I believe the fetus is only human after being born.” Her public comment was made during an all-candidates meeting at a Renfrew-area high school. Her brochure also lists her as the chair of the Our Lady of Fatima community school council. “I am strongly pro-choice,” she responded to a question from the public. “I don’t believe any person has the right to dictate to someone what to do with their baby.” When asked about Bill C-250, she said, “we support the legislation 100 percent,” and spoke forcefully in defence of same-sex marriage. When questioned by a member of the public about how she reconciles her position on abortion and sodomy with her claim to be Catholic, she responded, “I’m a member of Catholics for a Free Choice” (CFC). The organization is a dissident pro-abortion group founded in the U.S. The public member said, “This group is not Catholic,” to which she disagreed.
In a letter to local Bishop Richard William Smith, a local-area Catholic who attended the meeting, Yvonne Dienesch, wrote “Ms. McSheffrey is causing a scandal by her public disobedience to Catholic Church teaching, and many constituents are being misled.” Renfrew-Nipissing-Pembroke Conservative MP Cheryl Gallant was also at the all-candidates meeting. When pressed about her views on abortion, she said “The Conservative Party has no plans to change anything in the law . . . although I personally believe in the sanctity of life from conception until natural death” See Sue McSheffrey’s web-site at: https://ndp.ca/suemcsheffrey/ E-mail her at: [email protected] E-mail Bishop Smith at: [email protected] Visit Cheryl Gallant’s web-site at: https://www.cherylgallant.ca/