[Bruce_the_vii]

Good point.

[sandorski]

Scattered Scattered:

Up until this point, only men have posted in this thread.

I'm not quite sure what that says, but it's worth contemplating.

All the Ladies are out getting Abortions.....

[Brenda]

I think everybody knows my stand on abortion

As far as I am concered... Bring on the debate and start making some laws about it

[herbie]

As much as I loathe the man, Harper's smart enough to know this can is full of worms before he opens it!

[Axeman]

We might as well be discussing whether or not the vote should be taken away from women. The abortion debate is ancient history.

[GordieCanuk]

I don't think the abortion debate is over, although I'm equally certain a majority of people would like it to be. But with many zealots this is more than a political issue...its a crusade. I also know that the religious right is a significant constiuency for the Conservative Party, and this is something they want Harper and the Tories to address. But Harper is too smart a politician to touch this without a majority mandate.

[poquas]

Brenda Brenda:

As far as I am concered... Bring on the debate and start making some laws about it

The debate is long over and the law has already been made. Abortion is legal and is the law of the land. If Harper were to open this can of worms again, all the fears about the Reform nuts running the party would be proven true and Stockwell would be the leader again and the whole party would disappear into the wilderness for another 20 years. We'll be living with King Iggy for sure.

[Axeman]

GordieCanuk GordieCanuk:

I don't think the abortion debate is over, although I'm equally certain a majority of people would like it to be. But with many zealots this is more than a political issue...its a crusade. I also know that the religious right is a significant constiuency for the Conservative Party, and this is something they want Harper and the Tories to address. But Harper is too smart a politician to touch this without a majority mandate.

Tough shit! The Supreme Court has already ruled that anti-abortion legislation fails the Oakes test and is, therefore, unconstitutional. Harper and his cronies could have every seat Parliament and that still wouldn't give him the authority to pass an unconstitutional law.

[GordieCanuk]

Axeman Axeman:

Tough shit! The Supreme Court has already ruled that anti-abortion legislation fails the Oakes test and is, therefore, unconstitutional. Harper and his cronies could have every seat Parliament and that still wouldn't give him the authority to pass an unconstitutional law.

If and when fetal rights (the rights of the unborn) become established...then it will or would be possible to grant them protection under our constitution. There's also the notwithstanding clause.

[Axeman]

GordieCanuk GordieCanuk:

Axeman Axeman:

Tough shit! The Supreme Court has already ruled that anti-abortion legislation fails the Oakes test and is, therefore, unconstitutional. Harper and his cronies could have every seat Parliament and that still wouldn't give him the authority to pass an unconstitutional law.

If and when fetal rights (the rights of the unborn) become established...then it will or would be possible to grant them protection under our constitution. There's also the notwithstanding clause.

The failure of the abortion law had nothing to do with fetus' rights. It failed on the Oakes test. The problems caused by desperate women going underground to unqualified practitioners was what doomed the law. I wouldn't hold your breath on fetuses' (is that the correct plural) ever getting "rights", but even if they did, it wouldn't change the elements of the Oakes test that doomed the abortion law, since it was sunk female welfare, not child welfare grounds.

The notwithstanding clause was intended for Provincial legislation only. It was put in to the Charter to try and coax Quebec to sign. I can't imagine a situation where it could be used to maintain an unconstitutional Federal law. Even if it could, notwithstanding exemptions have a 5 year limit, so it wouldn't work in this case anyway.

[Brenda]

poquas poquas:

Brenda Brenda:

As far as I am concered... Bring on the debate and start making some laws about it

The debate is long over and the law has already been made. Abortion is legal and is the law of the land. If Harper were to open this can of worms again, all the fears about the Reform nuts running the party would be proven true and Stockwell would be the leader again and the whole party would disappear into the wilderness for another 20 years. We'll be living with King Iggy for sure.

there is no law in Canada about abortion. Neither is there any regulation. Abortion till the day it is born naturally is legal. Personally, I think that is a shame.
There is a middle way in this. There will always be a debate.

[GordieCanuk]

Brenda Brenda:

there is no law in Canada about abortion. Neither is there any regulation. Abortion till the day it is born naturally is legal. Personally, I think that is a shame.
There is a middle way in this. There will always be a debate.

While there is no law regarding abortion I've heard it said often that no doctors perform late term abortions except when the mother's health is in danger.

[Brenda]

GordieCanuk GordieCanuk:

Brenda Brenda:

there is no law in Canada about abortion. Neither is there any regulation. Abortion till the day it is born naturally is legal. Personally, I think that is a shame.
There is a middle way in this. There will always be a debate.

While there is no law regarding abortion I've heard it said often that no doctors perform late term abortions except when the mother's health is in danger.

So it's about ethics?

[HyperionTheEvil]

RUEZ RUEZ:

rawmeat rawmeat:

If harper reopens the abortion issue I will never vote Conservative again while he is party leader.

I suggest you vote for someone else anyway. If that's all it takes for you to vote for someone else you might as well.

Rawmeat:

I totally agreee with you, the social conservative nonsense has to stop. The CPC has on stay in the moderate side, and to do that they have to keep thier focus on the finicial side.

Harper needs to stamp out the religious nutbags in the party. We dont need the government telling us what we can do in our bedrooms, or what women can do with thier bodies.