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OTTAWA, Ontario, March 16, 2021 (LifeSiteNews) — The leader of the Conservative Party of Canada (CPC) has once again publicly stated that he is an advocate for legal abortion in Canada.
“I was elected as someone that has a track record, very clear on these issues with respect to rights, so I think they’re very important,” said O’Toole on March 9 at a press conference. “I’m pro choice and I’ve always stood for rights of Canadians.”
O’Toole commented on abortion in response to a reporter’s question regarding the upcoming CPC virtual national convention, to be held March 18 and 19.
The reporter asked O’Toole to provide his take on the social conservative voice in the party, and if he was concerned as to what they would bring to convention, especially around the issue of abortion.
Campaign Life Coalition (CLC) President Jeff Gunnarson told LifeSiteNews that O’Toole’s “pro choice” comments will “cause him to be anathema to dyed-in-the-wool pro-lifers,” and highlight the fact he is unfit to serve as party leader.
“Erin O’Toole describes himself as Catholic and has served in the Canadian Armed Forces. By rights, he should be a major force in the defence of mothers and their unborn babies. His self-labelling as pro-choice tells us he is not fit to lead a scout troop,” said Gunnarson.
“His support for killing the innocent in the womb shows a lack of fortitude, will cause him to be anathema to dyed-in-the-wool pro-lifers, and others of good-will, without whom he can’t win the next election. When he loses, the party will have a new leadership and we must pray for a true leader who believes in what is true, just and dignified for all God’s children.”
The CPC elected pro-abortion M.P. O’Toole as the new leader of the party in August last year. Sloan came in fourth place behind Leslyn Lewis and Peter MacKay.
After winning the leadership of the CPC, O’Toole said he won the race for party leadership as a “pro-choice Conservative MP.”
In the June CPC French leaders’ debate, O’Toole said he would defend women’s “right” to “choose for themselves” to have an abortion, should he become prime minister.
During his leadership campaign, O’Toole said he would allow his fellow Conservative M.P.s and any future cabinet ministers free votes on “moral issues” such as euthanasia and abortion.
Gunnarson and CLC are major driving forces fighting for the social conservative voice within the CPC and are leading the charge with the call to have the party’s constitution reflect the dignity of human life “from conception to natural death.”
At the CPC convention, there will be a debate on party policy and its constitution. There are around 4,000 delegate spots available at the convention.
Gunnarson told LifeSiteNews he has confidence in the pro-life delegates at the convention, which he hopes can make an impact.
“We march forward to the CPC convention confident in our pro-life delegates electing good people to National Council and, if available, good policy to help the CPC to become profoundly stronger, virtuous and a beacon of hope for all Canadians, from womb to tomb,” said Gunnarson, noting it is that very council which could decide the fate of socially conservative candidates running for political office.
CLC director of political operations Jack Fonseca told LifeSiteNews back in January, after pro-life MP Derek Sloan was booted from the party, that his organization has told all of their CPC delegate supporters to “not pull out of the Convention,” to “continue as voting delegates, and to make a powerful show of force at the Convention.”
CLC has said there are over 1,000 strong delegates ready to attend the convention to make the pro-life voice heard.
As it stands, the CPC’s official party policy regarding abortion is that a CPC government would not regulate abortion.
In regard to abortion and life matters, the CPC policy declaration states:
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A Conservative Government will not support any legislation to regulate abortion (70).
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Abortion should be explicitly excluded from Canada’s maternal and child health program in countries where Canadian aid is delivered, since it is extremely divisive — and often illegal (73).
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All votes should be free, except for the budget, main estimates, and core government initiatives. MP should have free votes on issues of moral conscience, such as abortion, the definition of marriage, and euthanasia. (7) (The party has no policy on the definition of marriage since delegates voted in 2016 to delete the policy defining marriage as between one man and one woman.)
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The party supports conscience rights for doctors, nurses, and others to refuse to participate in, or refer their patients for abortion, assisted suicide, or euthanasia (62).
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The Conservative Party condemns discrimination against girls through gender selection abortions (81).
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The Conservative Party supports legislation to ensure that individuals who commit violence against a pregnant woman would face additional charges if her unborn child was killed or injured during the commission of a crime against the mother (104).
O’Toole has a “red light” rating from CLC and is listed as an “unsupportable” candidate to vote for due to his pro-abortion stance and support for transgender ideology.
Contact information
MP Erin O’Toole
Leader of the Conservative Party of Canada
Leader of the Opposition
House of Commons
Ottawa, ON
Canada
K1A 0A6
Email: [email protected]
Tel: 613-992-2792
Fax: 613-992-2794
Conservative Head Office
Tel: 1-866-808-8407
Email via submission form
MP contact page: https://www.ourcommons.ca/Members/en/addresses