Anti-abortion group aims to influence UCP policy

CALGARY An Alberta group that opposes abortion is encouraging its members to get involved in the United Conservative Party’s policy development process and candidate nominations to ensure the fledgling party adopts “good pro-life policies.”

The Wilberforce Project — formerly Alberta Pro-Life — posted a video on its Facebook page last week asking individuals to respond to a survey of UCP members on policy development and take part in the regional policy meetings that will culminate in the party’s founding annual general meeting in May.

Cameron Wilson, the political director for the Wilberforce Project, said in the video the group will also be making its own policy submissions under the UCP process, which allows for a group of 10 party members to put forward policy proposals.

Wilson said having a say on the new party’s policy is important.

“When the time comes for the UCP to govern this province, UCP MLAs will have things to point to in their policy manual to enact as government as good pro-life legislation,” he said.

The Wilberforce Project, which takes its name from historical anti-slavery campaigner William Wilberforce, is also holding weekly events in Edmonton to sell UCP memberships in support of abortion opponents running for UCP candidate nominations.

The group endorsed current UCP Leader Jason Kenney in last fall’s leadership contest, the first since the new party was founded by agreement of Progressive Conservative and Wildrose members in the summer.

Kenney identified himself as an “anti-abortion activist” while in student politics, and maintains a personal belief in what he calls the sanctity of life.

He has pledged to not make any changes to abortion access in Alberta if he becomes premier.

Stephanie Fennelly, executive director of the Wilberforce Project, said Kenney has shown he is open to a diversity of opinion, including comments just before Christmas that he is “not against a certain degree of controversy” in the policy development process.

Fennelly said the Wilberforce Project’s policy submissions have not been finalized, but will likely focus on ensuring “conscience rights” for health-care providers “so they’re not coerced into performing procedures they are opposed to,” and on requiring parental consent for minors seeking an abortion.

“This is some early groundwork to keep the discussion alive ... and to encourage party leaders who are willing to have pretty open discussions,” said Fennelly.

The UCP’s draft policy framework — a document drawn up by a party committee as the starting point for the policy debate — was released to party members earlier this month.

It contains no mention of abortion or any other hot-button social issues among its policy proposals.

Kenney was not available for comment Wednesday.

Janice Harrington, executive director of the UCP, said if members of the Wilberforce Project belong to the UCP, they are welcome to participate in the party’s policy development process.

“But they’re still going to have to get through the process and I’d suggest that’s going to be very difficult, because even if they manage to do what they want to do, it still has to go to the floor of the founding AGM for those people to vote on,” she said.

Harrington said previous attempts to put abortion on the agenda of the PC and Wildrose parties have fallen flat.

Fennelly was unable to provide membership numbers for her organization, but said it had a contact list of several thousand people in the province.