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Pro-choice group refuses to take Ontario MP’s bait on equality motion

Conservative MP Stephen Woodworth is promising to keep fighting for his beliefs following the defeat of his motion to study the Criminal Code's definition of when life begins.

It's been 25 years since the Supreme Court of Canada struck down Canada's abortion law as unconstitutional in R. v Morgentaler but the issue remains unsettled.

As in the United States, the anti-abortion movement continues to challenge a woman's right to chose to terminate her pregnancy, arguing a fetus has as much right to life as a newborn baby.

The movement has its champions in the federal Conservative caucus, even if Prime Minister Stephen Harper has stressed he doesn't want the politically explosive debate reopened. While a segment of his support base might back the right-to-life position, Harper sees only potential lost votes in the electoral centre.

But he hasn't been able to rein in advocates such as Alberta MP Mark Warawa and Ontario's Stephen Woodworth, who've defied their micro-managing prime minister and tried to bring the issue back into the House of Commons.

[ Related: Anti-abortion MP Stephen Woodworth blocked from speaking at University of Waterloo ]

Their strategy has not been a frontal attack on abortion's de facto legality. Rather, they've tried to snooker opponents by tying their positions to more broadly supported concepts such as opposition to sex-selective abortion and a motherhood affirmation of the worth of human beings.

Warawa's proposed motion to condemn sex-selective abortion hasn't made it to a vote, despite two attempts, though he reportedly plans to pursue it in the future, according to CBC News.

The latest gambit comes from Woodworth, who wants the Commons to vote on his motion: “That the Parliament of Canada declare that the equal worth and dignity of everyone must be recognized by Canadian law based on their inherent nature as a human being.”

Like Warawa's motion, Woodworth's contains a trap for pro-choice supporters. But they're not taking the bait.

[ Related: Kitchener MP criticizes pro-choice group over equality motion ]

The Kitchener Centre MP approached the National Abortion Rights Coalition of Canada to support his motion. When it refused, Woodworth pounced, accusing the organization of devaluing some members of the human race.

“If you begin by saying that 'I'm sorry, some people are just not human beings and therefore they can be written out of the equation,' it's a really bad move,” Woodworth told CBC News, after he was rebuffed. “It creates a dark and dangerous future.”

Woodworth argued that the terms "human being," "dignity" and "equality," could be defined later through public and parliamentary discussion after the motion had passed.

No soap, said coalition executive director Joyce Arthur. Supporting Woodworth's motion would open the door to giving a fetus rights, with potential impacts on the rights of women, she told CBC News.

"We think the ulterior motive is that he's trying to include fetuses in the definition of 'everyone,'" Arthur said.

“He doesn’t seem to recognize that at all. When I bring up women’s rights over and over again, he thinks it’s some sort of sideshow. He doesn’t really get the issue, so what’s the point of talking about it with him?”

Of course, Woodworth never expected the coalition to climb on board. Once the group rebuffed him, he issued a news release regretting the coalition "simply refuses to affirm human equality."

[ Related: MP Mark Warawa to replace abortion motion with new bill ]

CBC News said the motion likely won't get to the Commons floor for a vote if he introduces it himself, due to parliamentary procedure. He'd need another MP to support him and so far he hasn't received that support.

Woodworth's motion last year to have an all-party committee study the definition of what constitutes the point at which newborn can be considered a human being was defeated 203-91. More than 80 Conservatives, including 10 cabinet ministers, voted in favour of the motion, CTV News reported.

The abortion issue is said to have split the Conservative caucus and triggered a revolt among some MPs against the tight discipline Harper has imposed. The Speaker recently ruled that the party whip can't prevent individual MPs from rising to make statements in the House.