Ignatieff's surprise announcement

At least one Liberal MP is not happy about how his leader discussed the abortion issue yesterday, as reported on A1 of today's Star.  At Lifesitenews.com, within an article being circulated by the PMO last night, Missisauga MP Paul Szabo   is quoted with  two complaints: one, he didn't see this coming and two, it's not Liberal policy.

LifeSiteNews.com (LSN) contacted several pro-life Liberal members for their comments.  Liberal MP Paul Szabo says he was caught off guard by the announcement, noting that the subject was not even raised during the caucus meeting

“The full day was on CIDA issues,” he said. “I sat there all day long, the subject wasn’t discussed.”

Disputing Ignatieff’s claim of consensus, Szabo said, “I am a pro-life MP and there are many of my colleagues in the Liberal caucus who will protect the unborn in their decisions as Parliamentarians, and should matters come before the House they will continue to act accordingly.”

Szabo said it was “opportunistic” of the Women’s Caucus of the Liberals to use something as important as maternal health to push their pro-abortion agenda.

“I don’t think this is Liberal Party position,” he concluded, “it was never discussed with the caucus and the caucus never had an opportunity to express its views.”

On point #2, Szabo may be correct. Liberals have tended to treat this issue as a matter of individual conscience. On point #1, however, perhaps Szabo was out of the room around 12:08 p.m., when the  intrepid live-blogger Kady O'Malley reported this from Ignatieff's  remarks  to the assembled:

He acknowledges the PM's recent position on maternal health, and then points out that it involves the full gamut -- including full reproductive health services, including the right to terminate a pregnancy, which sparks a somewhat startled round of applause as well.

Comments

[Bob]

Iggy ad-libbing again, he is his own worst enemy but hey divide everyone for power has been in the Liberals playbook since day 1 and this reporter spews anything they say with glee!!!

[daveh]

Abortion is a dead issue..

[wascally wabbit]

If Mr. Szabo wishes to make a stand on this - so be it!
He is wrong in what he states however. The Liberal party has been officially pro choice for some time - back to the days of Paul Martin and Cretien - and avoided a whipped vote only for the purposes of optics.
Whatever his personal beliefs - if Mr. Szabo polled the constituents that he represents - he would find that a majority of them are also pro choice - assuming they represent a typical cross section of Canadians - and if he wants to continue in his job - he should take their wishes into account.

[MyThought]

Women's rights to choose and decide for themselves has always been a Liberal stance and Szabo should know that, he's been there long enough.

[twitter.com/ChrisInKW]

All due respect to Mr. Szabo but how is he justified in pondering what issues the Women's Caucus can and can't bring to the table? As a male, it rubs me the wrong way when other men impose their morality in an issue that ultimately concerns women and their rights.

[troubleinparadise]

This most certainly came up in discussion at the Status of Women roundtable held by Mr. Ignatieff and his caucus last week. Time and again discussions at that roundtable referred to the myriad issues of concern to women such as economic security as matters of human rights. In fact many of the non-partisan participants at that session, while viewing the PM's declarations about the priorities of the G-8 with respect to maternal health (rights) in a positive light, also expressed the hope that the PM would recognize the link to reproductive and sexual rights, also basic human rights. It is facile of MPs like Mr. Szabo to characterize this as a "pro-abortion" agenda and one exclusive to the Liberal women's caucus.

[Pat]

Good for Ignatieff for throwing down the gauntlet! Healthcare for women does include access to safe abortions and effective birth control. The next step for Ignatieff is to ensure that we all know who has the Harper ear as in his PMO staff. If Harper's decided he can use the abortion issue as a campaign football for the next election, I would not be surprised. He has promises to keep and the promisees would be getting fretful by now.

[Thane]

Wow. Politicising aid. Iggy has reached a new low.

[I'll turn this country around...]

What's this nonsense about "population control?" If a woman is allowed to choose to have a baby, then she is allowed to choose not to have a baby. Anyone who suggests a woman can choose one but not the other is trying to control women's bodies.