Michael Ignatieff: F
Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff seems bent on moving his party to a more radical position on abortion and family issues. He supports abortion-on-demand and believes it should be a “protected right”. In 2010, he pressed the government to include abortion as part of its G8 maternal health initiative. He supports same-sex “marriage.” In 2010, in support of a bill to add transgenderism and transsexualism to federal human rights and hate laws, he said: “Extending rights of gender expression and sexual expression seem to be just, you know, where I’ve always been and where I’ll always be and where our party will always be.”
Stephen Harper: C+
Conservative Party leader Stephen Harper answered the 1993 Campaign Life Coalition questionnaire as effectively pro-abortion and he supports the party’s policy convention decision committing a Conservative government to not bringing in legislation restricting abortion. On April 4, 2011, in response to a question from a journalist, he reiterated that he has “no intention” of re-opening the abortion or same-sex “marriage” issues. He voted for traditional marriage and in 2006 he fulfilled a campaign promise to introduce a motion to re-open the SSM issue. In 2010, the Conservative government launched a maternal health initiative for the G8 and held firm against political pressure that it include abortion. Beginning in 2010, the Conservative government ceased operational funding for International Planned Parenthood, although pro-abortion groups are still funded on a project-by-project basis. Opposes euthanasia. The Conservative government has eliminated the Court Challenges Program and redefined the mission of the Secretariat of Women to not include gender feminist aims.
Gilles Duceppe: F
Bloc Quebecois leader Gilles Duceppe supports abortion-on-demand, euthanasia, and same-sex “marriage.” During the 2004 campaign he said that he would bring down a Conservative minority government (if one had been elected) if it tried to restrict abortion.
Elizabeth May: F
Green Party leader Elizabeth May supports abortion and same-sex marriage. She has repeatedly called for abortion to be included in maternal health initiatives abroad.
Jim Hnatiuk: A+
CHP leader Jim Hnatiuk is unequivocally pro-life and pro-marriage. Supports pro-family tax policies.
Jack Layton: F
NDP leader Jack Layton is unabashedly pro-abortion and pro-gay marriage. In 2010, he voted against C-384, Francine Lalonde’s fundamentally flawed euthanasia bill, but it is unclear whether he opposed it on moral grounds or the wording of the bill.
