Ignatieff’s fine line
When Michael Ignatieff said this week he wanted to “lay down a marker” for Tory initiatives to improve maternal health, ensuring they ranked access to abortion as a priority, he may have been attempting to resurrect the specter of a Tory “hidden agenda.” But the Liberal leader also delivered what some observers say may be the most audacious stance in favour of the practice of abortion ever to come from a Liberal leader.
Mr. Ignatieff held a news conference on Tuesday to explain that while his party generally supported Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s plan to focus G8 efforts on improving maternal and infant health worldwide, his support would be contingent on ensuring that facilitating access to abortion, as well as birth control, in the developing world was a priority. “Women are entitled to the full gamut of reproductive health services and that includes termination of pregnancy and contraception,” he said.
Tory MP Rod Bruinooge, chairman of the Parliamentary Pro-Life Caucus, called the comments a distinct departure from Mr. Ignatieff’s predecessors who tended to hold more ambivalent views about abortion. “Perhaps he and his advisors … have come to the conclusion that they’re prepared to take a far more aggressive position in relation to abortion than previous Liberal leaders.”
Former Liberal prime minister Paul Martin said he believed “women should have the right to choose” abortion, but refrained from expressing directly whether he believed that choice was the right one. Before becoming Liberal leader he had said he was “personally against abortion on demand.” His predecessor, Liberal prime minister Jean Chrétien, while supporting abortion rights, remained similarly reserved about the propriety of abortion.
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MaryT Says:
I did not see leaders of opposition parties anywhere when I googled Members of the G8/20
If he will not be attending, or involved in setting the agenda, who cares if he does or does not support the agenda for said meetings.
And didn’t PMSH say he hoped the health of women and children WOULD be included in the agenda. To me that means it has not been approved for the agenda at this time.
And isn’t it a fact that most of the decisions made for these meetings are being worked on months before said meetings.
And it is also a fact that most of the countries of the world do have abortion laws, with various restrictions in place. Good luck with getting Iran to change its laws that a father must give his permission, or the parent’s permission must be given in the case of unmarried women in other countries.
What agencies is Mr Iggy talking about, whose sole purpose of existence is providing abortions in 3rd world countries. Perhaps he should name them so we know who they are. Bet he wont because most of them (if they exist) hide behind some fancy name.
No wonder the pink ladies of the liberal party refuse to get involved in countries that throw acid in girls faces, let them burn to death because to allow them to excape from a burning bldg someone might see their face, let them be stoned to death for premarital sex, or adultery, and say nothing when a school is blown up.
I would love to have some reporter ask Iggy, Layton, Libby, Lizzie and lots of others, are you happy your mother made a choice to allow you to be born. And if they say, yes, then ask, why are you prepared to deny other women of the right to have their child. Then ask, did she make the choice to give you life so you could deny that right to other women.
Posted on February 4th, 2010 at 7:29 am
nomdeblog Says:
How American of you Iggy. When in doubt of how to handle the critical issues of the day, just throw the word “abortion” on the table and leave the room.
This is clearly a cynical Liberal strategy. Discussions in Toronto over proroguing inevitably lead to PMSH being a bully and implementing the infamous ”hidden agenda” if he ever gets a majority. I’m sure the phenomenon is the same in Quebec where women and abortion are a hot button because a couple of generations ago Catholic women had a dozen kids and that has left a deep impression on Quebec women in terms of family planning.
Many of these target voters that Iggy is propagandizing to are just hard core Liberals ( or Separatist swing voters) and would never vote Conservative anyway. But by lobbing the word “abortion” into the discussion, it instantly becomes emotional and thus hard for a Conservative campaigner to maneuver the discussion back to the facts and to Accomplishments.
The Liberals have not had a meaningful platform for decades. Emotional topics are all they have to fight with. Therefore it is all the more critical that we control the election agenda when it comes and that we set out 5 goals and campaign hard on them.
Posted on February 4th, 2010 at 10:01 am
Cy Says:
second what nom said. Obviously the Libs are running out of ideas. This is not likely to work – Harper left the abortion bill for dead more than a year ago, probably anticipating this desperation move.
Posted on February 4th, 2010 at 10:11 am
D.C. Says:
Trust a Liberal to create a crisis where none exist. Hopefully the Canadian voter see through the latest gambit.
Posted on February 4th, 2010 at 11:05 am
Undecided Voter Says:
Whats next for the desperate libs, discussing religion and bilingualism? Are they trying to set a trap for Harper or themselvcs?
Posted on February 4th, 2010 at 3:44 pm
D.C. Says:
UV, I think the trap has been sprung. On the Libs of course.
Posted on February 4th, 2010 at 6:32 pm
Undecided Voter Says:
Possibly D.C. but hopefully the PM doesnt step in many more of his own traps.
Posted on February 4th, 2010 at 6:55 pm