Updated: Sun Dec. 28 2008 11:07:57

The Canadian Press

WINNIPEG — The new chairman of a secretive pro-life Parliamentary caucus is pledging to rekindle the abortion debate in Canada and bring "more value" to the lives of unborn children.

Although Prime Minister Stephen Harper has said he's not interested in reopening the divisive issue, Winnipeg MP Rod Bruinooge told The Canadian Press people need to be better educated about Canada's abortion stance, which he says puts the country in a "class of its own."

"Very few Canadians appreciate the fact that essentially until a child takes its first breath, it has less value than a kidney," says Bruinooge.

"In Canada you can't remove your kidney and put it on eBay and auction it off. That is illegal. Whereas you actually can end a beating heart of an unborn child the second before it's delivered. Most Canadians would agree that is truly a poor bioethical position for our country to be in."

Pro-choice advocates say Canadian doctors only perform such later-term procedures if there's a serious threat to the health of the mother or if it's virtually certain the baby wouldn't survive past birth.

As Canada marks 20 years since a Supreme Court decision struck down Criminal Code restrictions on abortion, some advocates are worried the Conservatives will reopen the debate. But they say they are ready to fight for a woman's right to choose once again if necessary.

At the party's convention recently in Winnipeg, Conservative delegates voted to resurrect a proposal that would create specific criminal charges that could be laid against a suspect who kills or injures a fetus during a crime against a pregnant mother. A bill that would have done that died on the order paper when the last federal election was called.

Critics argue such a law would reopen the abortion debate by recognizing fetal rights.

"I think the debate is ongoing," Bruinooge says. "We need to have a starting point of debating whether or not abortion should be legal right up until the moment of birth."

Bruinooge wouldn't say how many MPs are formally part of the pro-life caucus, but said there are supporters from every party. It's up to individual members to "present their personal philosophy on this issue," he says.

Joyce Arthur, co-ordinator of the Abortion Rights Coalition of Canada, says it's not surprising that the pro-life movement is feeling "energized lately." The majority of the Conservative caucus are "publicly anti-choice", she says, and many are lobbying intently against a woman's right to choose.

"It's something that the Conservative party is out of touch with because Canadians don't want to go back to the abortion debate," Arthur says. "People are happy with the status quo. It's working well."

Erin Leigh, acting executive director of Canadians for Choice, says the pro-life caucus has been around for years, trying to work behind the scenes to resurrect the abortion debate.

But she says the "silent majority" of Canadians are pro-choice and realize it's important for women to have a safe, accessible alternative to pregnancy.

"If a woman is pregnant and she doesn't want to be, she'll find ways to terminate that pregnancy, legally or illegally."

Please Add Comments(8)

Wendy
pleaseeeee , there is many more problems out there that need handling more then this old debate leave it alone , help the ones that are here being abused instead . put your money and time helping them ..

cathevan
Wendy, you've got to be kidding - what is more important than the right to life? Without this first, basic right there can be no other rights to speak about. Thanks Rod and others for getting it in the right order!

Jill Chongva
And this is exactly why I did NOT vote for Mr. Bruinooge.

Mike ( VOTER) Taxpayer
This guy did not run on this platform! So why now once in the door his real agenda comes out!Dear Mr Bruinooge enjoy your short time in politics!Next election your GONE!Your boss would not even touch this!

Bryan
I don't understand why pro-life people target women who choose to end a pregnancy as murderers. How is it of any concern to those people if a woman decides she does not want her body to carry a child? How does that impact how they go about living their life? It's the same thing if I dyed my hair a different colour and a group of people staged a protest. What I do to my own body does not impact anyone else - the same can be said for a woman who decides to to have a child. If a woman does not want a fetus inside her, it is of no concern but to that woman and her family. Do outsiders have nothing better to do than to attempt to insert themselves in another person's life?

Kip
I have been a strong supporter of the Conservative party under Steven Harper and have voted for Mr Bruinooge twice. With this recent announcement may I say "never more". This issue has been dealt with ....get over it & get on with real issues of today!

Charlene
cathevan, the only abortion "problem" is the problem of stopping dogmatic control freaks from denying all women access to free and safe abortions.

The so-called "pro-life" movement is anti-life, anti-humanity, and not just immoral but starkly anti-moral. They must be stopped by any legal means possible.

ange
I think that women have every right, cathevan, you obviously are living in the 1800's, abortion debate, is yes, a waste of time and money. This is coming from a mans perspective to, who obviously would not understand what some woman deal with.