Pro-Abortion Groups Attack Conservative Govt in Advance of Canadian Election
by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
September 25, 2008
Ottawa, Canada (LifeNews.com) — Leading pro-abortion groups in Canada are going after the Conservative government in advance of national elections set for October. They held a press conference claiming Conservative leaders are using a stealth campaign to erode the so-called right to abortion.
Carolyn Egan, of the Abortion Rights Coalition of Canada joined with the Canadian Labour Congress, the Quebec Federation for Family Planning, and the Ottawa Coalition to End Violence Against Women.
"There is a clear anti-abortion hidden agenda at work that puts women’s health at risk," Egan claimed, according to The Star newspaper.
"We represent the pro-choice majority in this country that fought and won women’s right to abortion and we will not stand idly by while these rights are eroded," said Egan.
The groups called for candidates for Parliament to clearly state their views on abortion and the humanity of the unborn child and to make known their intent when it comes to legislation.
The pro-abortion groups complained the Conservative government failed to move forward in forcing residents of New Brunswick to pay for abortions there.
The abortion advocates main beef, however, came in the form of their opposition to a bill to protect pregnant women and give them and their unborn children justice when they are victims of violent crimes.
MP Ken Epp proposed a bill to allow prosecutors to bring charges when both mother and child are killed or injured. Abortion advocates claimed the bill would somehow trump the so-called right to abortion even though the measure specifically says the legislation doesn’t apply to abortions.
The Conservative government upset pro-life advocates when it announced it would table a bill that would simply add an enhanced penalty for attacking a pregnant women — with no charges brought for the death of or injury to the unborn child.
Yet, the abortion advocates, at the news conference, claimed even this watered-down bill would somehow intrude on abortions, according to The Star.
Egan and the pro-abortion groups also cited two other bills pending in the Canadian Parliament, including one to ban abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy and another that would uphold the conscience rights of doctors and medical professionals who don’t want to be forced to do abortions.
The newspaper indicated the pro-abortion groups are sending a nine-page survey to each of the political parties asking their stances on abortion.
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