Prime Minister Harper again shows his true colours

TORONTO, Dec. 17 /CNW/ - In a shocking move Wednesday afternoon, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper voted against a bill seeking to ban coerced abortion.  Bill C-510, sponsored by MP Rod Bruinooge (Winnipeg South, CPC) was defeated at second reading in a vote of 178-97.

"Some have believed that Mr. Harper was a closeted pro-lifer waiting for a majority so he could enact pro-life legislation," said Jim Hughes, National President of Campaign Life Coalition (CLC). "With this vote against a bill to ban coerced abortion his true colours have been revealed once and for all."

"He said at one time his beliefs on the matter fell somewhere in the middle. If he simply didn't want to appear to be pro-life, he should have just stayed away," Mr. Hughes continued. "Everyone opposes coerced abortion. Why paint himself as an extremist on abortion?"

"I guess he figures social conservatives have no where to go politically," he added. "Didn't the Reform Party teach us what happens when Conservatives go to the left?"

The bill, called Roxanne's Law, was named after Roxanne Fernando, a Manitoba woman whose boyfriend attempted to coerce her into having an abortion after she became pregnant in 2007.  After refusing to have the unborn child killed, Roxanne was beaten and left to die in a snow bank.

"Roxanne's death is clear evidence that coercion happens in this country," said Mary Ellen Douglas, National Organizer for CLC. "We had our own problems with the Bill, but the intent was good," she said. "It should have been sent to committee to improve the language and not to be dismissed out of hand."

Douglas said: "Campaign Life Coalition will continue, as always, to support individual MPs who are pro-life, and who will support legislation to protect all human life. We are not tied to any one party. We applaud those MPs who had the courage to vote for Bill C-510 at second reading."

For further information:

Media Contacts:
Mary Ellen Douglas, CLC National Organizer, Kingston, ON 613-389-4472
Jeff Gunnarson, CLC Toronto 416-204-9749