OTTAWA, June 30 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Many pro-life Canadians are confident thatStockwell Day is their solution to the advancement of pro-life legislation through the federal Parliament. They may be right, but not without maintaining constant vigilance. Neither Canadian Alliance leadership candidate has promised to implement pro-life legislation if they become the Prime Minister of the country. During a live CBC interview on Tuesday night, Day told his host, and CBC viewers, that his position on abortion legislation remains the same as it did from the beginning of his campaign: that he would not initiate such legislation; rather he would seek to pass laws that would enable Canadian citizens to bring forward such measures. Thus, pro-life political work must continue and indeed intensify.
In his response to a Canadian Alliance leadership questionnaire produced by the pro-life organization Campaign Life Coalition (CLC), Day said the same thing: “I would undertake measures that will allow Members of Parliament and private citizens to bring forward legislative measures protecting life through free votes and citizens’ initiated referenda, and I will support any pro-life measures brought forward through these processes.”
Those people looking for a sharp distinction between the views held by Mr. Day and Preston Manning will not find one on this point. Mr. Manning told CLC that he too would “pass legislation to permit ‘citizens’ initiatives’ so that Canadians themselves could initiate a referendum on this issue should a government be disinclined to do so.” Drawing from old Reform Party policy, he also wrote: “As Prime Minister I would initiate a broad public dialogue followed by a national referendum on establishing legal rights for the unborn so that Canadians can decide for themselves how they want to deal with this issue.”
Campaign Life Coalition has taken the position that even though Stockwell Day supports the Preston Manning “referendum” approach on life issues that is currently CA policy (which CLC has always opposed), it is encouraging pro-life members of the Alliance to vote for Day. CLC states “Day does have an excellent pro-life record in Alberta politics, has always been accessible and willing to meet with pro-lifers, has spoken at our national conferences, and has actively sought the support of pro-life voters in this leadership contest.
Copies of the questionnaire answers can be obtained by contacting CLC Ottawa at: (613) 729-0379 or [email protected]
See The June Interim newspaper’s analysis of the three main candidates’ answers to the Campaign Life Coalition questionnaire.