Despite the serious objections of concerned teachers, abortion defender Sheila Copps opened the Ontario English Catholic Teachers Association (OECTA) late January ‘Poverty Hurts’ conference in Toronto. Another pro-abortionist, ex-NDP MPP, Richard Johnson was to have closed the conference, but in the end did not appear.
Ms. Copps, the third place finisher in last year’s Liberal leadership race, is party leader Jean Chretien’s recent appointment to the post of Deputy Leader. She is on record as supporting unrestricted abortion in the first trimester of pregnancy.
Early in December 1990, dismayed teachers circulated an open letter to OECTA President, Michael Cote, questioning why a conference organized by a union for Catholic teachers should open and close with two well known and highly visible pro-abortionists.
They urged OECTA to replace Ms. Copps and Mr. Johnson with “equally high profile people who support life.”
Prior to Ms. Copp’s keynote address on January 25, a group of Catholic teachers, parents and students braved freezing temperatures to demonstrate outside the conference hotel.
Inside, Burlington, Ontario teacher, Chris Hinton asked Mr. Cote why Sheila Copps had been given such a prominent place at the conference. “She’s not speaking on abortion,” he replied.
