OTTAWA, January 18, 2002 (LSN.ca) – Stockwell Day, the former Leader of the Opposition who stepped down last month and is running again for the Canadian Alliance leadership, has released policy statements on his campaign website. The statements demonstrate a strong commitment to social conservatism.
On “Respect for Life” he states, “I strongly support the dignity and value of all human life. I agreed with the Supreme Court decision which said that young Tracy Latimer’s life was as valuable as any other Canadian’s. I am concerned about the Health Committee report on reproductive technologies which would allow embryonic stem cell research – allowing human embryos, which are human life, to be destroyed in the name of science.” He notes that “As a party, the Canadian Alliance takes no official position on the difficult questions of abortion or euthanasia, and if a bill touching on these issues were to come before Parliament, we would permit a free vote.” But adds, “In such a case my own vote would always be to protect human life.”
Regarding the “Family” Day says, “The family is the most basic unit of our society, and government should recognize the importance and value of family. The current tax system gives no recognition to families who are raising children above very low-income thresholds. We need a family friendly tax system that recognizes the costs and the value to society of raising children through a substantial tax break, and the tax system should also recognize the costs to parents who pay for educating their children out of their own pocket. We need to preserve the legal definition of marriage as the union of one man and one woman, as this has proven to be the best environment for raising children.”
Day also puts forward a position in favour of federal “tax credits for parents sending their children to independent schools that did not receive provincial funding,” noting his track record of promoting such initiatives as a cabinet minister in the Alberta government. Day explains, “Parents who are paying for their children to attend an independent school are providing a public good – education – at private expense, and it is only fair for government to recognize that sacrifice. Parents who feel obliged to send their children to their own schools for religious and cultural reasons, get no benefit from the thousands of tax dollars they pay towards public education. In effect, they face double taxation.”
On “Faith in Public Life” Day said that while “It is not the role of Government to promote a particular religion,” the Government should not “stifle religious freedom.” Drawing from his own experience as being harassed over his religious beliefs, he stressed that “Canadians who hold religious beliefs should not constantly have their motives questioned in political life, or be forced to limit their free speech to conform to political correctness.” Day recalled that “Our constitution recognizes the supremacy of God and our national anthem calls on God to keep our land. Surely this means that politicians and ordinary citizens should not be prevented from recognizing God in public.”
See these and other policy statements at Day’s website: https://www.stockwellday.com