NDP MP doesn’t support petition intent but still presents it after school group met in her office during March for Life
The pro-life petition campaign begun prior to this year’s National March for Life in Ottawa marking the 40th anniversary of the legalization of abortion has proven to be a phenomenal success, with over 30,500 signatures collected by press time and more still coming in daily.
Paul Szabo presented the petition in Parliament three times.
Launched by Campaign Life Coalition in March, the campaign calls for legal protection of human life from the moment of conception to natural death in Canada. Signed petitions have been forwarded to members of Parliament who have been presenting them in the House of Commons.
CLC told LifeSiteNews that response to the campaign has been so positive, with signed petitions daily pouring in to the CLC offices, that the campaign is being extended. He is encouraging pro-lifers to continue collecting signatures and sending in filled petitions.
The incoming petitions have been presented in Parliament 23 times by 18 MPs. The first was on May 7, one week before the march, by Liberal MP Gurbax Malhi (L, Bramalea-Gore-Malton, Ont.).
Chris Charlton presented the petition despite not agreeing with it.
During the National March for Life, 27 students from St. Thomas More High School in Hamilton took the opportunity to visit their member of Parliament, NDPer Chris Charlton, to present her with their collected signatures.
Charlton stated she does not support the content of the petition, but nonetheless presented it to the House on June 3.
“Mr. Speaker,” said Charlton in presenting the petition, “I rise in the House today to present a petition that is signed by students at St. Thomas More High School in my riding of Hamilton Mountain. Twenty-seven of the students came to Ottawa to participate in the National March for Life and used the opportunity to give my office their petition calling for a legislative reversal of the current law on abortion.”
She continued: “I want to commend these students for their engagement in the political process. They clearly understand that in a democratic country like Canada, it is their right to express their views directly to the House of Commons by petitioning Parliament. While the rules of the House do not allow me to endorse or oppose the call for action in any petition, I think it is important for all constituents in my riding to know that as their member of Parliament, I fully support the right of all citizens to have their voices heard in this chamber through the petition process, even in cases where I do not support the content of the petition itself.”
Petition campaign organizer Mary-Ellen Douglas told LifeSiteNews that a note of thanks from constituents to MPs who have presented petitions to the House would be appropriate and appreciated by them.
“Please take the time to congratulate your MP if he or she has stood in the House to defend life,” she said.
MPs who have presented the pro-life petition to Parliament
A version of this article originally appeared June 18 at LifeSiteNews.com.
