- Harper, Try Representing All Canadians for a Change

Posted: 3/17/2010 9:51:48 The Globe and Mail
Birth control won't be in G8 plan to protect mothers, Tories say, Campbell Clark, Mar. 17, 2010
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/birth-control-wont-be-in-g8-plan-to-protect-mothers-tories-say/article1502796/ Tab 24

It seems to me that Stephen Harper, Lawrence Campbell and the Con's position of removing any kind of family planning from Canada's initiatives at the G8 summit is not held by all the other 7 countries.

DFID (UK Department for International Development)

http://www.dfid.gov.uk/Media-Room/News-Stories/2009/Policy-on-safe-and-unsafe-abortion/

DFID's policy
DFID supports safe abortion on two grounds. First, it is a right. Women have the right to reproductive health choices. Second, it is necessary. 20% of pregnancies globally end in induced abortion; unsafe abortion accounts for 13% of all maternal deaths and the hospitalisation of a further five million women every year due to serious health complications. This preventable mortality and ill-health due to unsafe abortion is seriously undermining countries’ ability to achieve the fifth Millennium Development Goal (to improve maternal health) and places a high burden on already over-stretched health systems. But DFID does not support abortion as a method of family planning.

Also,

Dr. Dorothy Shaw, the Canadian G8/G20 spokesperson for the Partnership for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health. She is a key advisor to the G8 on the issue of maternal health.
"Obviously access to safe abortions is part of assuring maternal health. But it's a bit reckless to make this the sole focus of the conversation since it has the potential to derail the entire initiative. . . . "

Does maternal health=abortion debate?
http://www.cbc.ca/politics/insidepolitics/2010/02/does-maternal-healthabortion-debate.html

It is coming to light that Harper is basing his policies on his personal religious beliefs, thus blurring the separation of Church and State, transforming Canada into a non-secular, religious state despite that at least 2/3rds of all Canadians are being marginalized.

The separation of state and Church is vital to our way of life. We are not Iran. Canada's political system is not a facade of Democratic process with the Executive being made up of religious extremists who wield the real power and make policy.

Lloyd MacILquham cicblog.com/comments.html