Canada PoliticsAnti-abortion group lashes out at Justin Trudeau over his ban on pro-life candidates
On the eve of an annual anti-abortion rally on Parliament Hill, Justin Trudeau says that if you're pro-life, you can't be a candidate for the Liberal Party of Canada.
"I have made it clear that future candidates need to be completely understanding that they will be expected to vote pro-choice on any bills," Trudeau said, on Wednesday, according to Sun News.
Trudeau did add, however, that existing MPs would not face the same vetting process.
Regardless — and not surprisingly — one of Canada's most prominent anti-abortion groups wasn't pleased with those comments.
They emailed this statement to Yahoo Canada News.
Liberal leader, Justin Trudeau speaks out of both sides of his mouth as he declares his party is committed to ‘open nominations’ as long as any new candidates do exactly as he says and follows the exact dictates of the party on moral issues such as the killing of pre-born human beings.
“We invite Justin Trudeau to come to Parliament Hill tomorrow and repeat his statement to the thousands of young and older voters who are rallying there to defend all human life from the time of conception (fertilization) until natural death,” said Jim Hughes, National President of Campaign Life Coalition. “We hope that Liberal supporters who try to tell us that their party is open and accountable will now face the truth.”
“Trudeau says he will be screening the candidates to see where they stand on abortion and so will we,” said Mary Ellen Douglas, National Organizer of Campaign Life Coalition. “But how will we ever distinguish the Liberal Party from the NDP or is that the idea”
Regardless, of what side of the abortion debate you fall on, the first part of the first paragraph of the CLC statement rings true: Dictating how candidates vote on certain issues, seems to be counter to Trudeau's edict about open nominations.
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And it's not just abortion.
"We check on a number of issues," Trudeau said — again — according to Sun News.
"How do you feel about the Charter of Rights and Freedoms? How do you feel about same-sex marriage? How do you feel about pro-choice — where are you on that? And we make sure that the people who are stepping forward are consistent with the Liberal party as it is now."
That's fair. A political party has the right to dictate which candidates run under its banner.
But to come out and say that there will be open nominations is rather disingenuous and certainly misleading.
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Trudeau has also been dogged with allegations of showing favourtism towards nomination candidates in Toronto Centre, in Trinity Spadina and in Ville-Marie.
The Liberal leader is fond of saying that he will do 'politics differently'.
So far it sounds and looks like a lot of same old same old.
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