The following Catholics voted against the “protection for human life” amendment. The reason for listing these MPS as a separate category is that many Catholics believe that if a local candidate is a fellow Catholic, he or she will automatically be pro-life. Alas, this is not the case in practice. Their vote indicates otherwise.
The Prime Minister, Mr. Brian Mulroney, and the leader of the opposition, Mr. John Turner, are the two most prominent examples of Catholics who are not pro-life. The P.M. says he is against abortion on demand but refuses to say what that means. He has given no leadership to end the mass murder.
Mr. John Turner is worse. He is the architect of the 1969 law (which “approve,” i.e., legalized, the killing of over one million unborn babies). In 1984, the told everyone that he was proud of the law. Today he thinks abortion is a personal matter.
The following MP’s are Catholics who vote pro-abortion.
Warren, Allmand PC Notre-Dame-de-Grace, PQ
Jean Pierre Blackburn P.C. Jonquiere, PQ
Pierre Blais P.C. Bellechasse, PQ
Anne Blouin P.C. Montmorency/Orleans, PQ
Charles Caccia Lib Davenport, ON
Jean Charest P.C. Sherbrooke, PQ
Joe Clark P.C. Yellowhead, AB
Sheila Copps Lib Hamilton East, ON
David Daubney P.C. Ottawa West, ON
Marion Dewar NDP Hamilton Mountain, ON
Suzanne Duplessis P.C. Louis-Hebert, PQ
Gabriel Fontaine P.C. Levis, PQ
Raymond Garneau Lib Laval-des-Rapides, PQ
Jean-Robert Gauthier Lib Ottawa/Vanier, ON
Francois Gerin P.C. Megantic/Compton, PQ
Jacques Guilbault Lib Saint Jacques, PQ
Bud Jardine P.C. Northunberland/Miramichi, NB
Cyril Keeper NDP Winnipeg North Center, MB
Monique Landry P.C. Blainville/Deux-Montagnes, PQ
Jean Lapierre Lib Shefford, PQ
Nic Leblanc P.C. Longueil, PQ
Jean-Claude Malepart Lib Papineau, PQ
Andre Ouellet Lib Papineau, PQ
Louis Plamondon P.C. Richelieu, PQ
John Rodriguez NDP Nickle Belt, ON
Chris Speyer P.C. Cambridge, ON
Maurice Tremblay P.C. Lotbiniere, PQ
Pierre Vincent P.C. Trois Rivieres, PQ
The following MPs are Catholics who tried to have it both ways. First they voted for the protection of life amendment and then voted for the government’s pro-abortion motion or for one of the other pro-abortion amendments.
Fernand Jourdenais P.C. LaPrairie, ON
Don Mazankowski P.C. Vegreville, AB
Frank Oberle P.C. Prince George/Peace River, BC
Andrew Witer * P.C. Parkdale high Park, ON
* Did not vote for government motion but voted for James Amendment.
N.B. A number of Quebec MPs who voted against the protection amendment do not list their religion in the Parliamentary Guide though one suspects that most are baptized Catholics. Among them are Lise Bourgault, Andree and Michel Champagne, Marcel Danis, Marc Ferland, Alfonso Gagliano, Carole Jacques and Monique Vezina.
July 28, 1988 vote on abortion. Analysis by The Interim
| For Protection | For Abortion | Tried Both Ways | Absent | Other | Total | |
| Conservatives
Cabinet Ministers Parliamentary Secretaries MPs Other (speaker, McCrossan) Subtotal: |
6 8 71 – 85 |
22 14 41 – 77 |
4 – 8 – 12** |
7 6 18 – 31 |
– – – 2 2 |
39 28 138 2 207 |
| Liberals | 7 | 18 | – | 14 | – | 39 |
| NDP | – | 25 | – | 7 | – | 32 |
| Independents | 1 | – | – | 2 | – | 3 |
| Overall Total: | 93 | 120* | 12** | 54 | 2 | 281 |
*The vote on the protection of life amendment was 118 against 105 (see above 93 plus 12). Our figure of 120 MPs for abortion includes MPs Leo Duguay (P.C.) and Ron Stewart (P.C.) who did not vote on the life amendment but voted yes to the government motion.
** These 12 Tories voted for the protection of life amendment but then also voted for the government pro-abortion motion or for one of the pro-abortion amendments. For these four Cabinet Ministers and eight MPs, see page 15-16 of this issue.
