Over the summer, ARPA Canada will be re-posting an old blog or article each Thursday. We hope that you enjoy these blasts from the past as we re-live some of the major content, issues, and campaigns of ARPA’s past 15 years.
The following article, written by Mark Penninga, was originally published in the Reformed Perspective Magazine and reposted on ARPA’s website in 2014. Given that three leaders and one interim leader of the Conservative Party have come and gone since then, with a new leader set to be announced in just a few weeks, the thought that we’d share this article noting the successes and failures of the last time there was Conservative government in Ottawa. What might we expect from a future Conservative government?
In a June 2011 article for Reformed Perspective I detailed 10 realistic goals that could be accomplished for our nation under this Conservative government if our leaders have the courage to lead and if citizens give them the encouragement and accountability to do so. Now that we are about halfway through this government’s mandate, how are we faring on these issues?
1. Give Aboriginals the responsibility and hope that belongs to all Canadians
Grade: B+
Not long after ARPA published a policy report on this issue in 2012, we were very encouraged to see the federal government announce a number of bills and policies to increase accountability, equality, and opportunity for Canada’s Aboriginal peoples. In June 2013, the First Nations Financial Transparency Act became law. Aboriginal MP Rob Clarke has also introduced a private member’s bill C-428 entitled the Indian Act Amendment and Replacement Act. And the government has also taken steps towards allowing private property ownership on reserves and increasing parental responsibility in education.
As encouraging as these changes are, they are small steps in light of the enormity of the problem. And given that the issue crosses into provincial responsibility, much more can also be done in having the provinces and federal government work towards a common vision.
2. Reform the Canadian Human Rights Commission
Grade: C-
In light of all the opposition from all sides of the political spectrum to problematic sections of the Canadian Human Rights Act, it is striking that it took a private member’s bill (Brian Storseth’s C-304) to finally abolish Section 13 in the summer of 2013.
This was a huge victory, but the current government can’t take much credit for it, apart from not actively opposing it. Much more can be done to reform or even abolish the Canadian Human Rights Commission.
On June 18th, the House of Commons adjourned, setting the stage for an election campaign that will end the 41st session of Parliament. This is an appropriate time to look back on the past four years and see what was accomplished, especially through the lens of ARPA Canada and the issues that we focus on.
Pre-born Human Rights:
When the Conservatives were handed a majority in the last federal election, many Christians hoped that pre-born human rights would finally be addressed. These hopes were in vain. Although some courageous MPs stood up for the pre-born, the leadership of all the political parties in the House of Commons did their utmost to suppress these efforts.
Motion 312, championed by MP Stephen Woodworth, was the first motion that held promise. It asked that “a special committee of the House of Commons be appointed and directed to review the declaration in Subsection 223(1) of the Criminal Code of Canada which states that a child becomes a human being only at the moment of complete birth.” Local ARPA chapters hosted presentations by Mr. Woodworth on this motion and many ARPA supporters encouraged MPs to support it. But with the party leaders all vocally opposed, the motion died in the House by a vote of 203 to 91. Yet Motion 312 reignited a discussion that was quiet for too long. Momentum for addressing this injustice was building.
The following article, “Report Card: Assessing Canada’s Conservative Government on 10 Key Issues” was originally published in the Reformed Perspective magazine. It has been updated and included here as a reference item for our readers. You can download a PDF of the updated version, linked at the bottom of the text if you wish to print a copy.
By Mark Penninga (Updated July, 2014)
In a June 2011 article for Reformed Perspective I detailed 10 realistic goals that could be accomplished for our nation under this Conservative government if our leaders have the courage to lead and if citizens give them the encouragement and accountability to do so. Now that we are about halfway through this government’s mandate, how are we faring on these issues?
1. Give Aboriginals the responsibility and hope that belongs to all Canadians
Grade: B+
Not long after ARPA published a policy report on this issue in 2012, we were very encouraged to see the federal government announce a number of bills and policies to increase accountability, equality, and opportunity for Canada’s Aboriginal peoples. In June 2013, the First Nations Financial Transparency Act became law. Aboriginal MP Rob Clarke has also introduced a private member’s bill C-428 entitled the Indian Act Amendment and Replacement Act. And the government has also taken steps towards allowing private property ownership on reserves and increasing parental responsibility in education.
As encouraging as these changes are, they are small steps in light of the enormity of the problem. And given that the issue crosses into provincial responsibility, much more can also be done in having the provinces and federal government work towards a common vision.
2. Reform the Canadian Human Rights Commission
Grade: C-
In light of all the opposition from all sides of the political spectrum to problematic sections of the Canadian Human Rights Act, it is striking that it took a private member’s bill (Brian Storseth’s C-304) to finally abolish Section 13 in the summer of 2013.
This was a huge victory, but the current government can’t take much credit for it, apart from not actively opposing it. Much more can be done to reform or even abolish the Canadian Human Rights Commission.
Step 1) See how your MP voted here.
Step 2) If he or she supported M-312, Easy Mail to send a thank you note. If he or she voted against M-312,Easy Mailto respectfully ask how he or she can justify this decision. We encourage you to customize all EasyMail letters.
Step 3) Make a phone call, or send a thank you note, to Cabinet Minister Rona Ambrose, who is taking a lot of heat for standing up for M-312. Contact information is here.
Today the House of Commons voted against Motion 312 with 91 MPs in favour and 203 against. CBC had apparently predicted that less than 50 MPs would support it. We will publish how each MP voted when it is official. This outcome is not a surprise, in light of the strong pressure from within the parties. However, we were encouraged to see numerous cabinet ministers support the motion.
But far more encouraging has been the widespread attention that this motion has brought to the plight of the unborn. Your petitions, letters, and other efforts have brought this issue to the living rooms of this nation. Way to go! Although our PM insists that the issue is closed, the last few months have made it abundantly clear that Canadians have no idea we are the only democratic country in the world without any protection for the unborn. Parliament is standing in the way of public opinion, common sense, and human rights.
We will press on, and we look forward to doing so with you.
ARPA Canada stood alongside dozens of other organizations and experts in a joint statement to Parliament to “express our support for Motion No. 312 and the establishment of a special committee of the House of Commons to review the declaration in subsection 223 (1) of the Criminal Code of Canada which states that a child becomes a human being only “when it has completely proceeded, in a living state, from the body of its mother.”‘ Read the full document and the long list of those who signed it here.
The statement has been translated into both official languages and has been sent to every MP. The debate for M-312 begins on Friday and the vote is scheduled for next Wednesday. Find more informatin about this motion, and our EasyMail letter, here.
(Picture: Stephen Woodworth, the author of M-312, speaking at an ARPA event in August)
The local ARPA group in Barrhead Neerlandia interviewed Member of Parliament Stephen Woodworth about his Motion M-312.
“In a democracy every one of us is responsible for every law. In a democracy every one of us is responsible for an unjust law. And as Christians we have the moral obligation to do all we can to change those unjust laws.” (Mr. Woodworth, speaking to the audience in Lethbridge Alberta).
MP Stephen Woodworth, the author of Motion 312 which is coming to a vote in the House of Commons, was hosted by ARPA groups in Lethbridge, Edmonton, and Barrhead last week, making the case for his motion that asks for a Parliamentary committee to study the Criminal Code’s definition of human life. Lethbridge and Edmonton saw large crowds of about 200 people each, drawing from their respective communities as well. MPs Jim Hillyer, Rob Merrifield, Brian Storseth and long-term conservative publisher and leader Link Byfield were some of the leaders who made a point of coming to these events.
We have learned via CBC.ca that MP Stephen Woodworth has traded his private member’s business slot with another MP who is further down the list, meaning that his motion will likely not come to Parliament for a vote until the fall. This means that there is more time to get your petitions in. Also, summer will be a good time to talk to your MP about the matter. Please be sure to set up a meeting with your ARPA group (or with some friends if there is no ARPA in your area). Learn more about his motion, and find a link to our EasyMail letter about it here.
Mr. Stephen Woodworth stood on Thursday afternoon to present his Motion 312 to the House of Commons. He argued passionately and clearly that any law that says some human beings are not human beings is unjust. He called for a committee to re-evaluate our current law that says humans only become human at the moment they complete exit their mother’s womb. That definition, he states, is based on medical evidence that is 400 years old.
Take Action: If you have not done so yet, please collect signatures on our two petitions – the first calling on Parliament to support Woodworth’s Motion and the second calling for an abortion law. We also have an EasyMail letter waiting for you. It takes only a few minutes to be in touch with your MP and the Justice Minister about this crucial issue. Learn more
OTTAWA, March 14, 2012 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Conservative MP Steve Woodworth’s historic motion (M-312) to debate the personhood of unborn Canadians in Parliament has tentatively been set for April 26. In an interview with LifeSiteNews on Wednesday, Woodworth said the recent paper calling for “after-birth abortion,” otherwise known as infanticide, which said pro-abortion arguments should be extended to allow for the killing of newborn babies, highlights the need to reconsider the humanity of the unborn in Canadian law. Read more