A Brief Report on the NS Parties and their Leaders

Family Coalition Party

The FCP is the only party which provides a solid, consistent alternative to the other three parties. This grassroots party is pro-life and pro-family without exception. FCP opposes funding of abortions. FCP opposes gay rights and supports the traditional family. Other key FCP issues are: an end to judicial activism, parental choice in education, health care for life, not death. See more detailed report on the FCP

Guiseppe Gori

Replaced long-serving Don Pennell as leader of the party. Consistent record of supporting all pro-life, pro-family issues. Key issues: choice in education and wise use of health care dollars. Major accomplishment: Party on sound financial ground.

Liberal Party

Liberal Party's failure to identify its position on life/family issues is a clear indication that it in no way supports the pro-life/family agenda. In an effort to capture soft NDP support, the party has been sliding further to the left. Liberals avidly support a gay agenda and mandate that all candidates support platform. In the past the Liberals have voiced support of public funding of abortions. See report on leader Dalton McGuinty

Dalton McGuinty

Very inconsistent on life/family issues. In the past answered CLC questionnaire that "Life begins at conception." Has openly declared that he now believes in a woman's right to choose (CBC Metro Morning Dec. 2, 1996.) In 1995 he voted against Bill 167, which promoted homosexual rights. Now aggressively pushes full slate of homosexual rights saying he has "matured." Claims his faith (Catholicism) plays no role in his public dealings. See the full report.

New Democratic Party

The New Democratic Party is traditionally hostile to life/family. The official party line is "The NDP support's women's access to safe, legal, publicly funded abortion." NDP consistently supports the homosexual agenda. The last NDP government severely limited peaceful pro-life activity around abortuaries with an injunction and then used the courts to severely punish those who broke the injunction. NDP pro-life candidates do exist but would have minimal impact if elected. See story on NDP

Howard Hampton

Has said little or nothing publicly about life or family issues. Devotion to feminists/gay lobby renders him incapable of publicly holding anything but a anti-family, anti-life platform.

Progressive Conservative Party

The PC Party feels abortion is a "matter of individual conscience" When asked about funding of abortion, the party adopts the stance that the Canada Health Act requires provincial governments to make abortion services available; i.e., the government supposedly has no choice but to fund abortions. All candidates seem to have been briefed to use this party line when answering this question. 1995 election promise to fund counselling for women to consider alternatives to abortion never materialized. PC Party has strongly resisted all requests to drop the NDP-initated injunction which limits peaceful pro-life pickets. Party inner circle is strongly opposed to conscience legislation to protect health care workers from being forced to take part in providing services to which they have serious conscientious objection PC Party includes a "family values caucus" which supported (since defeated) Bill 91, which would simply have required that parents be advised of health care treatments planned for their children. See detailed analysis of Tory record.

Mike Harris

Conservative on economic issues, dismal record on family/life issues. Set party policy on abortion and other "controversial" social issues: they are not to be touched. Adheres to Party line supporting funding. Supports injunction which bans pro-life activity. Was very quick to say he would abide by May 19 Supreme Court ruling requiring government to provide same-sex benefits to practicing homosexuals employed by the government.