9. Do you consider yourself ____ “pro-life” or ____ “pro-choice”?

Many candidates have previously not had to consider how they would categorize their overall views on the abortion, euthanasia and other life issues concerning decisions on the life or death of innocent human beings. It is useful to candidates to confront their current overall philosophy and principles on the life issues via this question.

Poverty, homelessness or other issues that may result in the eventual deaths of some persons are not pro-life issues since they do not involve decisions to intentionally take life.

Knowing the candidates’ perceptions of their position on the life issues is helpful for CLC leaders who engage in discussions with candidates and especially later with those who are elected.

Many candidates who say they are pro-life do indeed hold consistently pro-life positions on all the issues concerned. Others have some exceptions to their otherwise strong leaning in the pro-life direction.

Other candidates sincerely believe themselves to be pro-life but have a poor knowledge or understanding of the issues and consequently hold positions on one or more of the key life issue questions that not pro-life. However, because such candidates are sincere in their mistaken beliefs it is likely possible to work with them and to assist them to increase their knowledge of the life issues – if they are open to learning more about these issues.

Unfortunately, it is also common for candidates, especially in ridings that have a significant number of pro-life voters, to state that they are pro-life to those they know would like to hear that and then to state to other voters that they are pro-choice. They will often give one or more responses to the CLC questionnaire that are clearly not pro-life, or refuse to respond to any of the questions and yet continue to insist that they are pro-life. As well, it has often happened that candidates stating they are pro-life, after being elected, act and make statements that clearly rate them as anti-life or, they do nothing to support measures attempting to advance protection of life in Canada.

All those in the preceeding paragraph cannot be considered sincere in their election campaign response that they are “pro-life”.

For this and the other reasons above, Campaign Life Coalition does not publish the answers to #9 in the Voter’s Guide but does consider the answers to this question important for further communications with candidates and elected Members of Parliament.