When a new pope is selected by the college of cardinals in the Vatican, the ballots are burned resulting in a plume of white smoke to indicate that a new pope is elected.
While in Canada, at the PMO’s office in Langevin block, it is the black smoke of burning documents that signifies not the election of a new Prime Minister but rather the outgoing of the former holder of the office.
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The Liberals are certainly desperate if their homepage is any indication. There is not one single positive message that the Liberals are offering voters as they make their decisions this weekend.
No vision. No hope. Just fear.
“extreme agenda”, “covert”, “muzzling”, “abortion”, “conservative cuts”, “MP calls right to choose undemocratic”
A mandate is not earned from the Canadian people based upon a veto that is scared out of them.
The only positive message that I can find is that Scott Feschuck’s blog stays crispy in milk.
I think that Paul Martin’s recent fearmongering is disgusting and insults the intelligence of the undecided voter.
Consider CPC MP Rona Ambrose’s response to Paul Martin’s insult to women:
“I am truly troubled and disappointed in Paul Martin’s fear mongering on women’s rights – because women’s rights is a very important issue to me. Violence against women is one of the reasons I became involved in politics. Paul Martin is doing a disservice to women by using a campaign of fear and lies to scare women on issues like abortion.” – Rona Ambrose, CPC MP
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In their last ditch effort to keep the Conservatives from forming government, Paul Martin’s war room is doing its best to try label Conservatives “regressive” social conservatives on the issue of abortion. They’ve gone after Conservative candidate Jason Kenney for attending a pro-life rally. However, the rally was co-attended by Liberal MPs Dan McTeague and Albini Guarnieri.
Let’s consider a few quotes uttered by Liberals on this divisive issue:
Prime Minister Paul Martin on abortion:
“I am personally against abortion on demand, but I believe it is very clear that there must be legislation brought in that will deal with what is becoming simply a mish-mash of approaches” – Paul Martin (Halifax Daily News, July 20, 1989)
Further, according to the same edition of the Halifax Daily News:
“Martin said the prime minister must immediately recall parliament to introduce new abortion legislation”
and finally, Paul Martin on abortion laws and judicial activism:
“It’s very clear that we are going to have 10 different [abortion] laws and that we are going to have these laws made by judges” (Halifax Chronicle-Herald, July 20, 1989)
Joe Fontana said that abortion should be limited to “exceptional extenuating circumstances” involving rape or incest (London Free Press, October 12, 1988). Joe Fontana is the current Minister of Labour
Minister of Veterens Affairs Albina Guarnieri on abortion and judicial activism and a woman’s choice: “The decision as to which life merits protection cannot be left to judges, doctors, or even women themselves. The issue must be dealt with on a national level by Parliament so that we as elected representatives may once and for all establish the supremacy of life and the protection of the unborn as would befit a civilized society. We must not be condemned by a future Parliament for legitimizing the termination of hundreds of thousands of unborn Canadians” (Hansard, November 23, 1989)
“Bill C-43 is abortion on demand with red tape…In effect, the legislation makes it possible for women to seek and obtain abortions for reasons that may have more to do with lifestyle considerations than with actual physical endangerment” – Albina Guarnieri (Hansard, November 23, 1989).
“In fact, the health clause will operate as nothing more than a rubber stamp condonement of abortion on demand. It will allow women to abort their unborn child based on a fleeting notion of immediate convenience” – Albina Guarnieri (Hansard, November 23, 1989).
“To imperiously determine which life should be afforded protection of the law and which should not would leave our society extremely susceptible to the social decision-making characteristic of the genocidal policies of certain Third World nations” – Albina Guarnieri (Hansard, November 23, 1989).
Joe McGuire, the current Minister of ACOA called abortion “the murder of another human being” (Hansard, November 27, 1989)
Consider Minister of Immigration Joe Volpe’s comments on abortion: “The government has contented itself with casting the issue in the context of abortion, a context which invariably favours the rights of those who are present against those who are silent, a context which too often is seen as purely a woman’s issue” (Hansard, November 22, 1989)
and these are just quotes from the PM and cabinet ministers… anybody got any good Tom Wappel quotes?
UPDATE: “There is no legal right to abortion in this country, according to the Supreme Court of Canada.” – Tom Wappel, former Martin Liberal MP
According to Wikipedia: In his nomination speech, Wappel called for abortion to be made a criminal offense with a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.
Remember that at their inaugural (and latest) policy convention in March 2005, the CPC approved the following policy:
“a Conservative government will not initiate or support any legislation to regulate abortion.”
Here are some more quotes by Liberal MPs:
Maurizio Bevilacqua:
“Hon. members, everything I believe, everything that I hold dear, my social and cultural make-up, my personal beliefs as a human being, tells me that abortion is wrong. I feel within myself, passionately, that abortion is against the natural order. It negates the essence of our being” – Maurizio Bevilacqua (Hansard, November 27, 1989).
“I do not understand how any of us can accept giving the responsibility and the right to anyone to decide on who will live and who will not” – Maurizio Bevilacqua (Hansard, November 27, 1989).
Paul Szabo is a current Liberal MP and gave his opinion on what choice he believes women have:
“Last year there were over 110,000 abortions in Canada with a cost to our health care system of over $10 million. That is over 300 abortions each and every day. It says that each year 110,000 mistakes are made at the expense of all Canadians by those who fail to act responsibly. Is it too much to ask Canadians just to be responsible for their actions? We do have a choice and that choice should be made before we act, not after we have failed to act responsibly” – Paul Szabo (Hansard, November 27, 1998).
Alan Tonks (another current Liberal MP):
“Generally speaking, I opt on the side of life. I don’t support carte-blanche abortion,” Mr. Tonks said. “If there was a motion that was presented to review and send to committee, whatever the nature of the change being asked, I would always support it going to the committee” (Globe and Mail, January 14, 2006).