Canada
In its submission on Bill 52, “An Act Respecting End-of-Life Care,” to the Quebec committee on health and social services, the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition, said, “the proposed changes reflect a fundamental transformation in the doctor patient relationship which runs contrary to the established ethic and values of the medical profession throughout Quebec, Canada and around the world.” The EPC also stated, “it is a mistake that will have tragic consequences if Quebec legalize euthanasia because they will also be placing members of society at risk of subtle pressure for euthanasia or having it inflicted upon them without request” … The Institute of Marriage and Family Canada said its report, “No second chances,” that euthanasia is never reserved for exceptional circumstances, with researcher Derek Miedema concluding, “the data from Oregon, Washington and the Netherlands show two things: first, legalized assisted suicide and euthanasia are never reserved for the few ‘exceptional’ cases. Second, initial criteria always broaden to include more and more ‘exceptional’ cases” … Demonstrators from the Canadian Centre for Bio-Ethical Reform are using a loophole in Hamilton’s by-laws to display graphic images of aborted babies over the Lincoln Alexander Parkway by hanging the banners from their bodies over the edge of an overpass. Ward 7 city councillor Scott Duval said he wants bylaws changed to prevent this loophole … The Halton Catholic District School Board will vote on a motion Nov. 5 that, if passed, will rescind the board’s 2008 ban on using their schools to disseminate the controversial anti-HPV vaccine Gardasil which the health department says prevents cervical cancer. Catholic leaders say distributing the vaccine, whose safety is questioned, undermines Church teaching on sexual morality by implicitly encouraging sexual promiscuity. Teresa Pierre, president of Parents as First Educators, calls upon parents and ratepayers to tell trustees they are “relying on the board to set the right moral example for your children” and that they should vote against reversing the ban.
United States
The Virginia governor’s race featured abortion prominently as Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli, a pro-life Republican is running against Democrat Terry McAuliffe, a pro-abortion strategist to former president Bill Clinton. Cuccinelli has personally donated more than $4000 to crisis pregnancy centers in the previous four years, supported the establishment of a “Choose Life” license plate, sought to clean up abortion mills that did not meet state health regulations, and in 2008 as a state senator sought to defund Planned Parenthood. McAuliffe, who holds double digit leads in most polls, has vowed to stand “like a brick wall” against any restrictions on abortions. Cecile Richards, president of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America, said “this race is our top priority, and the stakes couldn’t be higher” … California Governor Jerry Brown (D) has signed a bill into law that allows nurses, midwives, and physician assistants to carry out first trimester suction aspiration abortions … The Center for Womens’ Health in Cleveland that does late-term abortions and has a history of botched abortions and state regulation violations has shut down because of Ohio’s late-term abortion ban.
International
Socialist Ecuadorean President Rafael Correa threatened to resign after his party proposed a measure to liberalize Ecuador’s abortion law. The measure, which would allow rape victims to get abortions, was withdrawn … The European Parliament condemned gendercide in a report that calls on the European Commission and stakeholders “to ensure that practicing forced abortions and sex-selective surgery to terminate pregnancy without prior and informed consent or understanding of the procedure by the women involved is criminalized” …The United Kingdom’s Crown Prosecution Service announced that sex-selective abortions are not illegal when it decided not to charge two doctors who arranged abortions based on the sex of an unborn child. Britain’s abortion law had been interpreted in the past as banning this practice. The British Medical Association informed doctors “there may be circumstances, in which termination of pregnancy on grounds of fetal sex would be lawful” … The European Parliament rejected a resolution declaring abortion a “human right” and that demanded all members of the European Union legalize the practice. By a 351-319 vote, the EP sent the Estrela Report on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights back to committee for further study. Anthony Ozimic of the U.K.’s Society for the Protection of Unborn Children said the outcome demonstrates that “the pro-abortion lobby does not have it all its own way” … The Tasmanian legislature defeated a euthanasia and assisted suicide bill introduced by Labour Premier Lara Giddings, in a 13-11 vote. Paul Russell, director of HOPE Australia, admitted “it did not become obvious to anyone which way the vote would go until about the second to last speech.”