CONTACT YOUR MP: Free Pastor Coates and protect people of faith! Contact your MP, here.
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.
PETITION UPDATE (3/22/2021)
Pastor James Coates has been freed!
The Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms, the legal counsel which has been representing Pastor Coates, just issued a statement saying that Alberta's Crown Prosecutors have decided to drop all but one charge against Pastor Coates, paving the way for him to be released soon.
This is a great victory, God be praised!
Please READ LifeSiteNews' latest article on this latest and unexpected turn of events for Pastor Coates.
While Pastor Coates will still have to stand trial for the one remaining charge in May, he will at least be free to prepare for the hearings, and to celebrate Easter with his family and congregation.
Thank you for taking part in this campaign advocating for Pastor Coates' release!
Of course, with a trial still pending, he's not out of the woods, yet. But, this is a gigantic step in the right direction.
During his trial, we will keep you updated as to his status and we will continue to support Pastor Coates.
We will also keep fighting to ensure that Canadian people of faith like him are never persecuted for exercising their right to worship freely.
Until the trial finishes, please continue to SIGN and SHARE this petition in solidarity with Pastor Coates. Thank you!
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PETITION UPDATE (2/24/2021) -
There have been two important, recent updates to the ongoing imprisonment of Pastor James Coates in Alberta, Canada.
First, Alberta's Premier, Jason Kenney has spoken out about Pastor Coates' incarceration.
Please READ LifeSiteNews' article about Premier Kenney's intervention, here: https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/alberta-premier-who-jailed-christian-pastor-claims-he-is-protecting-fundamental-freedoms-of-religion
And second, Pastor Coates' wife addressed a crowd of supporters at the jail in which her husband is being held, saying in part:
"People keep asking us what can you do for us? Open your churches. Open your churches! Take a stand for the Lord Jesus Christ and take a stand for the people! Love them, open the doors, that’s what we need to do right now."
To read about Mrs. Coates visit to see her husband at the Edmonton Remand Center and her full remarks, please CLICK on the following news article from LifeSiteNews: https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/wife-of-jailed-candadian-pastor-tells-supporters-the-best-way-to-protest-is-to-open-your-churches
Then, please SIGN and SHARE this important petition. Thank you!
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Pastor James Coates of Grace Life Church in Alberta, Canada has been ARRESTED for refusing to comply with extreme and likely unconstitutional government Covid regulations that ban people from gathering to worship in their church of choice.
You read that right: Even churches aren’t exempt from Trudeau Liberals’ all-out attack on peoples' freedoms in the wake of this pandemic.
But, Pastor Coates needs to be released immediately, and MPs must take steps to rein-in the extreme Covid regulations which provincial governments are using as an excuse to trample on essential freedoms.
Please SIGN and SHARE this petition and STAND WITH PASTOR COATES.
Send a strong message to Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau and Justice Minister Lametti, as well as to all Members of Parliament and to Canadian Provincial Premiers, that this CANNOT stand.
Some government officials are hoping to make examples out of faith leaders like Pastor Coates, who refuse to comply with unreasonable government demands to close-off places of worship to their own congregations.
That's why he remains in custody to this day.
But, no Canadian should ever face jail time for exercising their God-given, Charter-guaranteed rights, and action MUST be taken.
Please SIGN and SHARE this urgent petition.
NB: YOU DO NOT NEED TO BE FROM CANADA TO SIGN THIS PETITION.
Pastor Coates, who leads Grace Life Church in Edmonton, Alberta, originally suspended in-person services and church gatherings in good faith and out of concern for his congregants after Trudeau’s government first introduced Covid restrictions last spring.
However, the church reopened over the summer when it became clear that Trudeau’s shutdowns were here to stay, and that congregants would be indefinitely limited in their worship size or again banned from in-person worship altogether under their guidelines.
After Alberta’s Chief Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Deena Hinshaw, enacted new restrictions in November that cap all faith-based gatherings at 15% of building capacity (a major blow to churches that wish to resume worship for their members), Pastor Coates kept Grace Life’s doors open to anyone and everyone who wished to proceed with normal practice of their faith.
However, this simple exercising of congregants’ Charter rights was met not only with governmental resistance, but an unreasonably disproportionate legal response.
Pastor Coates was arrested and then quickly released on February 7th for practicing his faith alongside congregants, and arrested AGAIN on February 16th for the same reason.
Pastor Coates remains in custody today for refusing to allow Alberta Premier Jason Kenney and his health officer Deena Hinshaw to infringe upon his congregants’ civil liberties any further.
Please SIGN and SHARE this petition which calls for the release of Pastor Coates, and asks Canada's MPs to take action to ensure that Canadian people of faith, like him, are NEVER persecuted for exercising their right to worship freely.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
'Alberta govt jails pastor for holding COVID-non-compliant worship services' -
https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/alberta-govt-jails-pastor-for-holding-covid-non-compliant-worship-services
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