During the 2004 election campaign,former Alliance, now Conservative, member Rob Merrifield dropped a bomb shell.
In an interview with The Globe and Mail, he said he thought mandatory counselling would be "valuable" for women who are considering terminating their pregnancies.
Mandatory??!!
At the time Stephen Harper was trying to distance himself from the abortion issue but clearly did not have control of his caucus, as many expressed their anti-abortion views publicly.
Harper drawn into hot-button abortion issue
CTV.ca News Staff
CTV.ca News Staff
June 1, 2004
In an interview with CTV's Canada AM on Tuesday morning, Conservative Leader Stephen Harper was keen to downplay his health critic's comments.
Individuals are entitled to their opinion, Harper said, recognizing that pro-choice advocates oppose mandatory counselling as an unnecessary obstacle.
Views held by party members, he added, do not necessarily reflect Conservative policy.
"I've been very clear," he said. "A Conservative government in its first term led by me will not be bringing in abortion legislation or sponsoring an abortion referendum." (notice how carefully he said 'first term')
With the newly-merged Conservative Party desperate to make inroads with moderate voters, Harper was keen to minimize the potentially alienating effect of Merrifield's comments.
Merrifield's remarks may not have won him brownie points with his boss, but the Campaign Life Coalition sung his praises:
June 1, 2004
Campaign Life Coalition Agrees
Conservative Health Critic Rob Merrifield, MP said yesterday that he supports third party counseling for women considering abortion. Campaign Life Coalition supports this suggestion because women have a “Right to Know” what is involved in a procedure that kills their baby and could adversely affect their body as well.
Jim Hughes, National President of Campaign Life Coalition (CLC) said, “This would be a very positive initiative for women, because, as we know most women are not given full information about abortion before they go through the procedure. After they find out the truth they are burdened for the rest of their lives with what they have done.”
“Henry Morgentaler and others who claim to be pro-choice seem to be against women having a truly informed choice,” Hughes continued. “We rightly call the abortion lobby “pro-abortion,” because the only choice they offer is a dead baby.”
Karen Murawsky, Public Affairs Director of Campaign Life Coalition in Ottawa, said, “Of course it’s important to require third party counseling. In the absence of a law protecting the unborn, women need to realize that they are terminating the life of their child.
Campaign Life Coalition supports Rob Merrifield and any other politician who takes a stand in support of human life. Campaign Life Coalition does not endorse any single particular political party, but urges voters to support only those candidates who acknowledge the fundamental right to life of all human beings from the time of conception.
The following year CLC:
"presented Conservative MP Rob Merrifield with its Joseph P. Borowski Award, given annually to the politician who most prominently upholds life and family in the public square."
He also strongly opposed the 'Morning after' pill.
The abortion issue is not confined to just the Reform-Conservatives, but politicians from all parties have a problem with the legality of the practice. However, any politician who is pro-war, is not pro-life.
Since Rob Merrifield is actually drafting a report for the Canadian Council of Executives that says in part, Canada will support a new 'North American Defense' strategy, meaning we fight where the U.S. tells us fight, he has no credibility of any 'life' issues.
My Other Postings on Rob Merrifield:
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