women think before you vote

Many women are worried Conservatives would roll back years of hard-won rights
Maude Barlow is the national chairperson of The Council of Canadians
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January 20, 2006

Harper Threatens Fundamental Rights

It is not surprising that women's groups are alarmed over the possibility of a Stephen Harper government and were the first civil society groups to create the "Think Twice" Coalition. Many women are very worried that a Conservative government would roll back years of hard-won rights over their bodies.

Although Harper has said his party would not initiate new legislation curtailing reproductive freedom, many Conservative candidates are strongly opposed to abortion and are promising their constituents a free vote in the House after the election. Even as the Harper war room was trying to damp down public comments by Conservative candidates on the issue, party president Don Plett was issuing e-mails assuring party members that the issue would be resurrected if the party forms the government. Indeed, many Conservative candidates have given a written pledge to the Campaign Life Coalition - an ardent anti-abortion group - that they will re-open the debate with the intent to fully ban abortion. This can hardly be surprising given the deep influence of the evangelical Christian right in the Conservative Party of Stephen Harper.

Equally concerned are gays and lesbians who fear a re-opening of the divisive and painful debate around same-sex marriage if the Conservatives take power. In fact, more than 100 leading legal experts have issued a warning that re-visiting this issue in a free vote, as has been promised by Stephen Harper, would be "legally reckless, untenable, unconstitutional and irresponsible." Polls show that Canadians are supportive of same-sex marriage and full rights for gays and lesbians. But the views of the majority to protect the rights of a minority will be ignored by the ideologues who will sit in Parliament if we send a Conservative government to Ottawa.

Think twice Canada.