By Hilary White
WINDSOR, Ontario, October 3, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Although infuriated by a privately distributed flyer exposing them as pro-abortion, neither the Liberal nor NDP candidates in the upcoming provincial election mentioned in it have denied support for legalised abortion.
The Windsor Star reports that the flyer called on Catholics in the southern Ontario riding of Essex, a potentially significant voting bloc, to avoid supporting either the NDP or Liberal party candidates saying they are pro-abortion, against natural traditional marriage and would cut funding to Catholic separate schools. The unsigned flyer was published by a group called Essex Catholics for Life and Fairness and was distributed to an unknown number of people at church parking lots throughout the riding.
Bruce Crozier, the Liberal MPP for Essex, told the Windsor Star that the flyer “completely misrepresents me” but did not deny supporting abortion. A 2003 campaign questionnaire lists Crozier as being “considered pro-abortion” by pro-life lobbyists. He refused to respond to the questionnaire distributed by Campaign Life Coalition in the 2003 election, saying only that he would vote on life-related issues according to the view of his constituents.
In April 2006, Liberal MPP Michael Bryant, Ontario’s Attorney General, praised the Canada’s Charter of Rights for having “radically changed our laws and legal processes” that “led to the end of legal prohibitions against abortion” as well as “the end of mandatory denominational prayers in public schools, the end of Sunday shopping prohibition and much, much more”.
John Grima, the NDP candidate for Essex also objected to the flyer’s contents saying that his party supported Catholic, French and public school systems but wanted more fair funding practices.
The NDP, however, is known to be the most militant abortion supporters of all Canadian political parties. The NDP both federally and provincially has made it clear that it does not run candidates who hold any pro-life positions regarding abortion or embryonic stem cell research.
The flyer was supportive of Conservative candidate, Richard Kniaziew, whom it called “a man of integrity, who works hard and keeps his promises.”
Crozier urged Kniaziew to “condemn” the flyer as “a cowardly move,” noting it was unsigned. But Kniaziew told the Star that while the flyer did not come from his campaign office, he saw no reason to denounce it. “Why does Bruce want me to denounce it?” said Kniaziew. “Maybe Bruce should denounce the fact that he hasn’t been honest with voters especially about education, faith-based schools, health care and job creation in Essex County, which has one of the highest unemployment rates in the country.”
Kniaziew said he did not “see anything in this that is unfair or untrue. I’m against abortion, I am a man of integrity who works hard and keeps his promises.”