Patrick Brown proudly admitted he scuttled pro-life and pro-family policies from online forum where members can vote on party policy. On Oct. 13, Ontario Progressive Conservative leader Patrick Brown announced the provincial Tories would not consider any socially conservative policies put forward by members in the online vote ahead of a policy convention scheduled for November 23-25 Campaign Life Coalition’s [...]
The Convention on the Rights of the Child Treaty was ratified in 1989 and remains the most universally endorsed human rights treaty globally. The CRC is specific about the legitimate right all children have to be protected from the use of illicit drugs. Four articles within the CDC speak directly to this: Article 3: “In all actions concerning children, whether undertaken by public [...]
The Ontario Liberal government is aiming to reinstate a 1994 temporary injunction that bans pro-life activity in front of abortion centers, claiming it was dismissed five months ago by mistake. The attorney general’s office brought an urgent motion last month to reinstate the 24-year-old interim injunction. It was issued by Justice George Adams as part of a $500,000 lawsuit for damages that [...]
Under Siege: Religious Freedom and the Church in Canada at 150 (1867-2017) by Don Hutchinson (Word Alive Press, $22.99, 276 pages) In Under Siege, former Evangelical Fellowship of Canada vice president and general legal counsel Don Hutchinson writes about the history of Christian churches in Canada describing how the Dominion began as a predominantly Christian nation to one in which is being [...]
Sir John’s Echo: The Voice for a Stronger Canada by John Boyko (Dundurn, $19.99, 213 pages) John Boyko is the author of six books on Canadian history and his latest, Sir John’s Echo, presents the story of Canada since Confederation as a struggle between Ottawa and the provinces, with the central government often asserting itself as a force for national cohesion and [...]
In July, 1776, the Second Continental Congress made its famous Declaration of Independence, announcing, with vehemence and fanfare, a new arrival “among the powers of the earth” with the dissolution of “the political bands” that had connected the 13 Colonies to Britain – the original Brexit. Nearly a century later, another nation joined the powers of the earth when, by an act [...]
As a number of provinces move to provide options other than male or female on birth certificates, an Angus Reid Institute poll found nearly six in ten Canadians opposed to the idea. The poll of 1,512 Canadians conducted June 8-13 found 58 per cent of respondents opposed to plans “to issue gender-neutral birth certificates upon request,” while 42 per cent support the [...]
Light is Right Joe Campbell I’ve been wondering, of late, why congregants mark July 1 by singing “O Canada” at the end of Mass. I haven’t noticed legislators mark Dec. 25 by singing “O Little Town of Bethlehem” at the end of their proceedings. I realize the dates are not strictly comparable. Although Canada Day celebrates the birth of the [...]
In a position statement released on May 11 concerning sections six and seven of the 2004 Assisted Human Reproduction Act, the Canadian Fertility and Andrology Society called on the federal government to legalize the payment of surrogates and egg and sperm donors, though board member Sherry Levitan suggests placing a cap on how much money surrogates or donors can receive. The position [...]
On Feb. 7, Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould and Heritage Minister Melanie Joly announced the Liberal government would resurrect the Court Challenges Program, the federal fund for third parties to challenge the constitutionality of laws. The CCP was created in the 1970s by the Pierre Trudeau government to launch court challenges to laws based on equality and language rights. The Harper government nixed [...]
Pierre Lemieux Among the numerous candidates for leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada, Pierre Lemieux is one of the few who merits serious consideration. During 10 years in Parliament, he distinguished himself with an impeccably pro-life record and now he also stands out for denouncing the usurpation of legislative powers by the Supreme Court of Canada. In a [...]
More than a dozen MPs, former MPs, and businessmen are running to replace former prime minister Stephen Harper as permanent leader of the Conservative Party of Canada. With 14 people officially in the race after reality TV star and businessman Kevin O’Leary entered the race in January, some party insiders are beginning to wonder if many candidates will drop out [...]
Pro-life MP Brad Trost to run for Conservative leadership. “I have a 12-year track record of not only voting the right way but speaking out.” MP Brad Trost (Saskatoon - University) was first mentioned as a possible Conservative Party leadership candidate during the party’s policy conference in Vancouver in May. He was critical of the decision by delegates to remove [...]
Brand Command: Canadian Politics and Democracy in the Age of Message Control by Alex Marland (UBC Press, $39.95 528 pages) In many ways, the thesis of Alex Marland is nothing new: governments and political parties have strict control of their messaging as they present themselves as brands to be sold to voters. Marland, a political science professor at Memorial University, brings scholarly [...]
Earlier this week Rob Anders and Garry Breitkreuz, pro-life Conservative MPs who are not running for re-election, made statements in the House of Commons saying good-bye to colleagues and thanking supporters. There are two excerpts worth highlighting. Yesterday, Breitkreuz (Yorkton-Melville) said: I will give members an idea of what has moulded my career here. I became a Christian when I was in [...]