Beyond The Commons

 Beyond The Commons

Aaron Wherry covers all the goings-on in and around Parliament Hill. Follow Aaron on Twitter: @aaronwherry

Categories: Beyond The Commons, Capital Read

That's a no

by Aaron Wherry on Monday, April 26, 2010 3:16pm - 130 Comments

The government having previously said that its maternal health initiative had nothing to do with capital punishment nor gay marriage, that it did not want to reopen the debate on abortion, but that it was not closing the door on any possibilities, the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for International Cooperation did stand in his place this afternoon and announce that “Canada’s contribution will not include funding abortion.”

And so, nearly three months after the fact, Michael Ignatieff has an answer to his question.

Official transcript from QP after the jump.

Mme Johanne Deschamps (Laurentides—Labelle, BQ): Monsieur le Président, cette semaine, les ministres du Développement du G8 se réunissent à Halifax afin d’harmoniser leurs politiques à l’égard de la santé maternelle et infantile. On sait que ce gouvernement s’oppose idéologiquement à l’avortement et qu’il voudrait bien exporter ses valeurs conservatrices à l’international. Est-ce que le gouvernement va mettre de côté son idéologie et reconnaître que les mesures de planification familiale, incluant l’avortement, contribuent à améliorer la santé des femmes et des enfants?

Hon. Jim Abbott (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of International Cooperation, CPC): Mr. Speaker, my minister is hosting the G8 development ministers in Halifax today where this issue will be discussed. We will be leading the discussion at the upcoming G8 summit on child and maternal health. We are focused on how to make a positive difference to save the lives of mothers and children in the developing world. Canada’s contribution to maternal and child health may include family planning, however, Canada’s contribution will not include funding abortion.

Mme Johanne Deschamps (Laurentides—Labelle, BQ): Monsieur le Président, le gouvernement conservateur a demandé l’aide de la Norvège afin d’établir sa stratégie à l’égard de la santé maternelle et infantile dans les pays en voie de développement. Le conseiller spécial de la Norvège insiste pour dire que les mesures de planification familiale, incluant l’avortement, sont essentielles à une telle stratégie. Est-ce que le gouvernement conservateur va écouter ce judicieux conseil et prévoir des ressources afin de donner la liberté de choix aux femmes?

Hon. Jim Abbott (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of International Cooperation, CPC): Mr. Speaker, it is getting a little tiresome to have the opposition always trying to score cheap political points on the issue of abortion. We are giving the opportunity to all our G8 partners to assist us in promoting maternal and child health. The standard practice is each country makes its own domestic decision which areas it will focus on. Our government has no intention to reopen the abortion debate in Canada. We will work with our partners on this important issue.

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  • http://intensedebate.com/people/PhilCP PhilCP

    The journey from sperm & egg (in separate containers, human or otherwise) to new-born infant goes through a number of stages. Some of those stages (such as the moment of conception, closely followed by the moment of birth) are more dramatic – and almost magical – than some of the other stages.

    I'm pretty sure that there is widespread (although not total) agreement that at the sperm and egg stage people are pretty much free to do whatever they wish. I'm almost as confident that there is once again widespread (although again not total) agreement after the moment of birth stage that a human being exists, and it deserves all of the protections that we expect for ourselves.

    So the disagreement centers on at what point does the transition from sperm/egg to human occur. I gather that Gaunilon believes the moment of conception marks the transition, while others will argue that the transition occurs further on into the pregnancy, and is not marked (unfortunately for all of us) by a dramatic or magical moment.

    Isn't that almost the bottom line?

    • http://intensedebate.com/people/Thwim Thwim

      Sort of.

      I believe there's one other consideration here.. what can the government force us to do in service of the life of another.

      I draw the line somewhere before forcing me to use my organs to keep them alive. Gaunilon seems to feel that's okay.

  • http://intensedebate.com/people/CanadianSense CanadianSense

    The obsession by Liberals on demanding tax funded abortion by the Federal Government as a priority of maternal health explains why the Catholic vote is no longer in their camp.

    "The place to start is with the 2000 election. A close look at the sources of Liberal dominance in that election reveals that the support of Catholics and visible minorities was a critical ingredient.."
    http://ces-eec.org/pdf/Anatomy%20of%20a%20Liberal…

    OBAMA and many democrats did not support funding national abortions with tax dollars. A large number were also against SSM and very little backlash from the left in Canada.

  • Orson Bean

    Yes, but there's a difference: Obama is a saint. Therefore, he never does anything bad or wrong. Not so with Harper. He is evil, and everything he does is bad and wrong. So even if Harper and Obama do the same thing, it's further proof that Harper is evil, and Obama is good. Got it?

  • http://intensedebate.com/people/CanadianSense CanadianSense

    In my defence, I did not get the MEMO!
    The left are getting a re-education lately in not pushing their agenda.
    http://www.thestar.com/news/ontario/article/80003…

  • Blues Clair

    OBAMA and many democrats did not support funding national abortions with tax dollars.

    And Canada does, what's your point?

  • http://intensedebate.com/people/CanadianSense CanadianSense

    Blues Clair,

    You should have held a leadership convention.

    The left have a selective morality, math filter.

    Ann Coulter (no free speech),
    Terrorist organization Hamas Financier George Galloway embraced. Galloway on banning on MP G. Wilder.

    Democrats don't fund their own national abortions, SSM denied by OBAMA. ( Canadian left, zzzzzzzz)

    Hilary goes Rambo demands abortion money for Congo she can't deliver at home, China's Dictator rebukes on human rights, the left can't spot the hypocrisy?

    Tax funded CBC pay for weekly polls from a large Liberal donor, no conflict , perception of bias from left?

    How did the left react to Duffy appointment to senate again?

    Evil "neo-con" thingy right, Culture War are just words…..

    The Bloc win 65% of the seats in QC with 38.1% of pop. The CPC win 46% with 37.7% of popular vote. Remember the 62% majority meme?

  • Blues Clair

    go on…

  • http://intensedebate.com/people/Gaunilon Gaunilon

    (1) If they aren't, the solution is to help them regain that freedom.
    (2) Regardless of how the child came to be, there is no justification for killing her.
    (3) The number of abortions performed due to rape is miniscule compared to the overall number which are done for convenience.

  • http://intensedebate.com/people/Thwim Thwim

    So what's your definition of naturally? If nature is your guide than the entire medical profession is an affront to it, as it is — by definition — working to avert the natural course of things. Would you deny all of it? Or do you just deny the parts that offend your personal sensibilities?

    I'm not arguing a straw man.. you're saying that a zygote grows to a human. Well.. where does the zygote come from? If it offends you that we might prevent a zygote from reaching its potential, why not a sperm? This is the problem, you're not arguing for actuals, you're arguing for potentials. Potentially, a zygote or embryo may become a human. It may also become waste matter and very often does simply by nature.

    Or it does because the woman ate too much cinnamon or cardamon.

    Of course, what always gets me is that making abortion illegal will not stop it, and will in fact endanger the lives of more people as the mothers seek it out in places that aren't regulated — meaning that rather than just losing the embryo, you lose the mother as well.

    If you really value life, you give people they choice to do with it as they want. Embryos exhibit no sense of choice. They're no more human than tumors or parasites.. they have the potential to become such, sure, but so does a sperm if we give it the right conditions.

  • Holly Stick

    I think they both have mommy issues. They identify solely with the fetus, while to them a women is just a disposable container for the sacred fetus.

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