Harper says MPs should vote their conscience
Prime Minister Stephen Harper sharpened his message on abortion Thursday, saying political parties have no business trying to “impose” a position on politicians when it comes to matters of morality and personal faith.
Harper was reacting to Liberal leader Justin Trudeau’s statement this week that all of the party’s MPs — including existing members of caucus — must vote pro-choice if the abortion issue arises in the next Parliament.
The prime minister’s reaction went beyond previous statements in which he promised the Conservative party would respect people with a range of “deeply held views.”
Now, Harper is specifying that MPs should be permitted to follow their own conscience on “moral” issues and on those that affect their religious faith.
“We don’t want to reopen that particular issue,” Harper said of abortion.
“This is my view, this is the view of our party. But the reality is in public life there are issues that engage peoples’ moral views, engage their faith, engage their most deeply held beliefs. “And it’s our party’s view that on those issues you cannot impose views on people.” Of the three main parties in the Commons, Harper’s Conservatives are the most deeply split on abortion.
“Youhave to let people be able to express and represent their own views,” he said.
“Our party does do that. And we have people with a range of views on that particular question.”
Since coming to power in 2006, Harper has walked a fine line — declaring he will not take action in areas such as abortion and capital punishment, but giving social conservatives in caucus the freedom to vote their conscience.
Harper’s latest comments came after weeks of controversy stemming from Trudeau’s announcement in mid-May that he would force MPs to toe the party line on abortion.
Trudeau has been dogged by the issue and he has said that while he welcomes people of all views on the issue into the party, Liberal MPs must vote pro-choice.