Cooper refuses to discuss his views on abortion
The United Conservative Party’s interim leader will not say if he thinks abortion should be banned, after the NDP put out a news release Wednesday highlighting a radio interview he gave in 2009 expressing opposition to abortion at any point during pregnancy.
“If you want to choose to kill your baby, it’s offensive to me that I should be partly responsible to pay for you to make that choice,” Nathan Cooper said in the interview.
“If this is truly about choice in health care, then there’s no way that we should be funding your choice.”
Cooper, who was selected Tuesday to serve as the interim leader of the UCP, declined to answer Postmedia’s questions about his previous statements.
On Tuesday, Cooper defended his stance on LGBTQ issues, saying his thinking has evolved and he now “unequivocally” supports the LGBTQ community.
That wasn’t enough for deputy premier Sarah Hoffman, who accused Cooper of having “extreme opinions” on LGBTQ issues and asked him to explain specifically what he used to think and where he stands on those issues today.
Hoffman said if he won’t do that, he should resign.
It’s unusual for a cabinet minister to call on an Opposition leader to resign in Alberta.
Cooper declined to comment on Hoffman’s statement.
Cooper’s 2009 comments were made while he was working for the advocacy group Canada Family Action as assistant to the executive director and the host of a radio show whose guests included controversial author Scott Lively, who is opposed to the “homosexual agenda.”
If you want to choose to kill your baby, it’s offensive to me that I should be partly responsible to pay for you to make that choice. NATHAN COOPER, in 2009