Abortion

Abortion is the deliberate killing of a child in the womb of the mother. (Note: surgical or medical interventions, designed to prevent the death of the mother, i.e., in cases of tubal pregnancy or cervical cancer, which result in the unintended and undesired death of the preborn child, are not abortions.)

1. In terms of your personal views, do you consider yourself

a) pro-life
b) pro-choice
c) pro-abortion
d) pro-life with exceptions (for life of mother, rape and incest)

2. When does human life begin?

a) conception (fertilization)
b) implantation

3. Would you initiate any public discussion on the issue of abortion or initiate any legislative measures to end abortion?

As a provincial cabinet minister, my support for de-insuring medically unnecessary procedures initiated much public discussion about the issue. Obviously, as Leader of the Opposition, my pro-life position already has initiated considerable public discussion on the issue.

Because the Canadian Alliance grassroots members decided not to have a policy on the issue of abortion, I could not as Leader initiate party sponsored legislation on the issue. However, Canadian Alliance democratic reforms would allow Members of Parliament and private citizens to bring forward for debate legislative measures designed to protect human life through free votes and citizen initiated referenda.

4. Would you stand in the way of any initiative - from one of your own MPs or from elsewhere - to ban or restrict abortion?

No.

5. If you were given the opportunity to vote on legislation to ban abortion that came before Parliament by way of the democratic process, would you vote in favour of it or against it?

In favour.

6. Abortion is an elective procedure that has become a matter of social choice. Would you support measures to end taxpayer funding of abortion and to classify abortion as non-medically necessary in the Canada Health Act?

I supported measures in Alberta aimed at defunding abortion. As a medically unnecessary procedure, I oppose current federal attempts to require provinces to provide and fund abortion services, and as Prime Minister would respect provincial jurisdiction over determining what constitutes a medically necessary service.

I support full disclosure of all health aspects of abortion and information and support for pregnancy care and adoption services.

7. Would you support measures to protect the freedom of conscience of health care workers who are pressured to take part in abortion and other medical procedures in violation of their consciences?

Yes. I have already done so in the Alberta Legislature.

8. Is abortion primarily a criminal issue (federal jurisdiction) or a health issue on which you would defer to the provincial legislatures? (This is a crucial question because Members of Parliament claim it must be dealt with provincially while provincial politicians call it a federal matter.)

Funding and regulation of abortion procedures fall under the purview of provincial responsibility for health care. Any legal limits on abortion per se would be a federal matter.

Euthanasia

9. Do you believe the current law pertaining to euthanasia and assisted suicide is satisfactory?

Yes. I agreed with the Supreme Court decision which said that young Tracy Latimer's life was as valuable as any other Canadian's.

9. A) If not, how would you change the law?

10. Would you work to strengthen legal protection for the elderly and disabled and other vulnerable people through improved access to palliative care? (The federal government can participate in these efforts through the funding of research and education and by setting up national standards.)

Yes. I support the implementation of many of the measures recommended in the Senate Report on "Quality End-of-Life Care: The Right of Every Canadian", while ensuring that a clear distinction is maintained between passive euthanasia and genuine palliative care, and ensuring that provincial jurisdiction over health care is respected."

Reproductive and Genetic Technologies

11. Do you support the Canadian Alliance Minority Report of the Standing Committee on Health on Assisted Reproduction?

Yes. I am concerned about the Health Committee
report on reproductive technologies which would allow embryonic stem cell research - allowing human embryos, which are human life, to be destroyed in the name of science.

12. Would you support a permanent extension of the three-year ban on embryo research proposed in the Minority Report? At the same time, would you undertake vigorous promotion of adult stem cell research as a viable and practical alternative?

Yes.

13. Do you believe the government should permit any experimentation on embryos, even prior to 14 days gestation, as the draft government legislation currently proposes?

No.

Governance

14. When a politician's conscience (and therefore presumably the position he verbalizes when running for leadership) and his constituents' wishes collide on an issue about which the elected official holds strong views (for example: child pornography), do you believe that the politician should stand behind his conscience or vote according to his constituents' wishes?

Explain:

I believe that it is the duty of a democratically elected representative to be clear about his conscientious beliefs, and to represent his constituents to the best of his ability by voting in accordance with his constituents' wishes. However, I believe that this obligation cannot bind legislators to vote in favour of measures which would abrogate inalienable human rights, such as the rights to life, liberty, and property.

15. A) If your response places higher priority on conscience over constituent wishes, please tell us whether abortion is one of those issues about which you hold sufficiently strong views to make this question applicable?

Yes. I believe that abortion violates the inalienable right to life possessed by all human beings, and have publicly made this known to my constituents so that they are aware of this when they vote. I also support citizens rights to a democratic recall of their MP if they feel they are not being properly served.

B) What about euthanasia?

Yes. I believe that deliberate killing of the elderly or the infirm violates the inalienable right to life possessed by all human beings.

Thank You
Stockwell Day