Ontario Federal Liberals have given pro-life policies high priority in their submission to a National Policy Convention to be held in Hull, Quebec next February.

Over 900 delegates attended the Ontario wing of the party’s Annual General Meeting and Policy Rally at McMaster University June 14-16.

From 120 policy statements presented to the delegates, only twelve were selected to be sent on to the National Policy convention.  These twelve policies were ranked according to the ballot support each received.  Receiving the fourth highest support after policies dealing with national unity, the environment and aboriginal concerns was the following:

  • Recognition that human life begins at the moment of conception;
  • Policy should be formulated which distinguishes between the use of abortion for birth control, and its use as a life saving medical procedure;
  • Those seeking abortion should be fully informed as to the actual stage of development of the fetus, available alternatives, and possible complications;
  • That anesthetic be administered to both patient and fetus before an abortion is performed;
  • The cost of an abortion be the responsibility of the individual and not the health care system.

It was followed in the fifth place by the following:

The Liberal Party of Canada opposes euthanasia by direct action or by passive neglect.

Delegate election meetings for the Hull Convention will be held in all ridings across Canada.  Pro-life Liberals were encouraged to stand as delegates so that they will be able to vote for pro-life policies and make the Liberal Party a pro-life party heading into the next federal election.

In an interesting aside to the policy vote at Hamilton, Dan McCash, a well known pro-lifer in the party, ran for the office of executive secretary.

Sheila Copps, Deputy Leader of the party, did all that she could to persuade delegates to vote against Mr. McCash.

Mr. McCash’s supporters were infuriated over the efforts of John Nunziata – a Liberal MP with an enviable pro-life record – to discredit McCash and to work at defeating him in his bid for a party executive position.

In spite of the efforts of Nunziata and Copps, Tom Wappel, MP, nominated him for the position and Albina Guarneri, MP, seconded the motion.  Mr. McCash received over a third of the votes cast.