Dastardly Canadian Politician Attempts to Bring the Personhood Debate to Canada [View all]

[Lucy Goosey]

Jezebel covers the M312 debate:

While Woodworth may be playing dumb regarding the potential implications of flooding the matter with light aka redefining fetuses as people, it's obvious to just about everyone—except maybe those still in utero—where this kind of debate reaches its logical conclusion. And this sad attempt to start down the road to making abortion a criminal act (since, you know, it'd be killing human beings) has upset a lot of people on all sides of the issue. Even fellow Conservative members were quick to denounce Woodworth's move.

Conservative whip Gordon O'Connor spoke during the debate and said he wasn't buying Woodworth's claims that this was all innocent truth seeking: "the ultimate intention of this motion is to restrict abortions at some development stage in Canada." He urged all of his colleagues to vote down the motion, and he said women should continue to be able to have abortions "without the threat of legal consequences." He also, amazingly, said that whether everyone likes it or not, abortion will always be a part of our society, and he doesn't get why pro-lifers "want to impose their belief on others through the Criminal Code." Well, if you'd like an answer to that Mr. O'Connor, make a stop by almost any abortion clinic in the United States, and you'll likely find a number of protestors who'll be willing to scream an explanation into your ear at top volume.

http://jezebel.com/5905650/dastardly-canadian-politician-attempts-to-bring-the-personhood-debate-to-canada

At least on this one issue, I'm happy for the differences between Canadian and American conservatives. And I'm really impressed with O'Connor. On this issue. I liked that he emphasised that Woodworth is specifically trying to change the definition of a person in homicide laws, and that the House is neither a medical body nor a religious one. He also busted the "abortion is unregulated in Canada" myth.

His full statement is here: http://www.parl.gc.ca/HousePublications/Publication.aspx?Language=E&Mode=1&Parl=41&Ses=1&DocId=5524696#Int-7540005