Meanwhile, in Ontario, the Tory party holds a leadership convention again, this time to elect a successor to ex-premier Frank Miller.
November, 1985
Leadership candidates Alan Pope and Larry Grossman, speaking on CBC’s open-line Radio Noon about Catholic hospitals, offer the opinion that hospitals should be forced to accept abortion facilities.
Pope (Cochrane South), says, “I think it is clear that a condition of public funding must be that therapeutic abortions be made available.” Pope later apologized for his remarks.
Larry Grossman (St. Andrew-St. Patrick, Toronto), who won the leadership one week later, said “there is no point forcing it (an abortion committee) on Catholic hospitals unless there is no alternative.” When confronted by angry listeners, he softened this by suggesting that compelling of hospitals could be avoided by better “organization of services.”
December 2, 1986
Opposition leader Larry Grossman supports the NDP sponsored Bill 7, which adds “sexual orientation” to the provincial human rights code. In supporting this legislation he repudiates the majority of Conservatives MPs who spoke strongly, and voted against the Bill.
March 4, 1986
John Crosbie, Minister of Justice, agrees that “sexual orientation” should become “a prohibited ground of discrimination.” He proposes that homosexuals be allowed to join the RCMP, the armed forces and all other federal services.
April, 1986
External Affairs Minister Joe Clark defends his wife Maureen McTeer’s decision to become an honorary director of the Canadian Abortion Rights Action League. Her decision, he says, “was reached after much thought and consideration on her part, and I fully support her right to hold that opinion and to express it freely as an individual Canadian Citizen.” (June Interim.)
June, 1986
Justice Minister John Crosbie introduces tough new amendments to the Criminal Code which will outlaw child pornography and curb “adult” porn. The proposed legislation is immediately attacked by the anti-censorship lobby. The bill dies when parliament prorogues in September.
January 15, 1987
Secretary of State David Crombie (Toronto-Rosedale) refuses REAL Women a federal grant. In 1986, the federal Tories gave between $11 and $12 million to feminist organizations, many of which support abortion and lesbianism. In a letter in response to an enquiry, Mr. Crosbie states, “I can assure you that no group received assistance in support of projects that advance their stance on the right-to-life issues.” (REAL Women’s application for funding was for pro-family work.)
March, 1987
The Secretary of State’s office suddenly revokes approval for a grant made to the pro-family Alberta Federation of Women United for the Family, a retroactive contribution to help cover the costs of their 1986 conference.
