CLC Blog

Dear Friend,

A surprisingly positive development has arisen in the federal by-election taking place in the riding of Portage-Lisgar on June 19th, with Maxime Bernier making major announcements on pro-family and pro-life values.

I'll get to that shortly, but first, about the main candidates....

Some observers think it could be a close race between the Conservative Party's Branden Leslie, and PPC candidate, Maxime Bernier, who is also PPC Leader.

About Branden Leslie: Unknown on key values

Mr. Leslie has never completed Campaign Life Coalition's election survey, nor even returned a reply. Therefore, he has been rated with a yellow "Caution" light, since his views on abortion are unknown.

We've heard that he tells pro-lifers who ask, that he's pro-life, too. However, that is not specific enough to warrant CLC giving him a green light or a "Pro-life" rating.

Based on our many years of experience, I can tell you that a candidate's avoidance of CLC is a much better predictor of how they'll vote once in Parliament, than what they tell a pro-life voter whose door they've knocked on.

To his credit, on May 24th Leslie posted a social media statement reading: "I promise I will oppose the expansion of MAiD (euthanasia)".

However, it is notable that his post only came following the pressure generated by Maxime Bernier's major social conservative policy announcements (which we'll get to shortly).

Furthermore, Mr. Leslie's anti-euthanasia post still did not reveal whether he would vote in favour of, or introduce, legislation to stop abortion. Therefore, his views on killing preborn children, and his voting intentions, are still unknown.

With regard to transgender and homosexual "Pride" issues, to our knowledge, Leslie has never revealed his position.

What we do know for a fact, however, is that his boss, Pierre Poilievre, is strongly supportive of homosexual "marriage" and transgender ideology. In fact, Poilievre even called for the disqualification of pro-family CPC Leadership candidate Richard Decarie in the 2020 Leadership race over the latter's belief in traditional marriage.

Poilievre also voted in favour of Bill C-4, Justin Trudeau's so-called "Conversion Therapy ban" which aims to put parents in jail for up to 5 years for the "crime" of refusing to affirm their sexually-confused child as being the opposite sex.

So the real question is, would Leslie dare to take a position on pro-family issues that is different from that of his boss?

About Maxime Bernier: Strongly against transgender ideology; Improving on abortion

Maxime Bernier has never been considered pro-life by CLC because, in years past, he stated that he personally believes abortion should be legal up till 21 weeks gestation. That cannot be considered a pro-life position.

Bernier also supported homosexual so-called "marriage" and voted in favour Bill C-16, which enshrined "Gender Identity" theory into law.

It appears Bernier still supports homosexual "marriage". However, he has seen the light on Gender Ideology and totally recanted his support of Bill C-16.

Even better, on the Portage-Lisgar campaign trail, Bernier made stunning policy statements that are worthy of careful consideration by pro-life-and-family voters in the riding.

PPC Policy #1. Dismantle Transgender Ideology

In a recent media conference, Bernier outlined his party's anti-Trans ideology policies, which are among the most sensible and enlightened in the political arena today.

Bernier's expression of integrity and courage in wanting to protect the vulnerable from the insanity of Transgenderism is truly inspirational.

Some of the PPC's outstanding policy commitments on this issue, should the party form government one day, include:

• Modifying the Criminal Code to outlaw the use of puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and any form of bodily mutilation on minors with the goal of “transitioning” to another sex.
   
• Holding criminally responsible (for attempting to cause harm) any person encouraging minors to “transition”.
   
• Partially repealing Bill C-4, the so-called “conversion therapy bill”, which made it illegal for parents and counsellors to help minor children who suffer from gender dysphoria to be at peace with their bodily reality.
   
• Strictly enforcing section 163.1(1)(b) of the Criminal Code in order to remove inappropriate pornographic content from schools and libraries.
   
• Protecting women’s spaces – bathrooms, changing rooms, shelters, and prisons – from intrusion by biological men.
   
• Maintaining separate competitions for women in which biological men cannot participate in sports regulated and funded by the federal government.
   
• Abolishing federal programs that fund sex change operations for civil servants and prisoners.
   
• Repealing Bill C-16, the bill that added "Gender Identity" and "Gender Expression" as grounds for protection against discrimination.

CLC commends Bernier and the PPC for this important package of policy statements to protect vulnerable children, women and girls from those who would exploit and prey upon them.

But there's more surprising news that indicates a positive change in direction by Mr. Bernier.

PPC Policy #2. "PPC welcomes a debate on abortion"

In another recent policy statement, Bernier expressed his desire to reopen the abortion debate.

He pledges that, if elected in the June 19th by-election in Portage-Lisgar, he will table the Protection of Preborn Children Act, a private member’s bill to amend Section 287 of the Criminal Code.

The bill would limit the legal availability of abortion to a maximum of 24 weeks gestation, and outlaw late-term abortions, with certain exceptions.

As an ethical principle, CLC cannot support a gestational approach to abortion legislation like this one. Although its intention may be good, such a law sends a message to society that it's morally acceptable to kill babies before a certain gestational age.

CLC only supports a personhood approach to the law, which would protect every preborn baby from conception to natural death.

However, we do applaud Bernier for his desire to re-open the abortion debate and shatter the political taboo on this topic.

For that at least, he deserves some praise.

It's certainly a more commendable position than that of Poilievre who repeatedly told the press that he is resolutely "pro-choice". The Conservative boss even went so far as to promise the mainstream media that he would not allow any backbench pro-life legislation to pass.

Citing the deplorable fact that the Conservative Leader refuses to reopen the abortion debate, Bernier is appealing for Portage-Lisgar constituents to vote for him in the June 19th by-election so that he'll be able to put forward his Protection of Preborn Children Act. Bernier even described late-term abortion as "murder", which takes guts to say, nowadays.

It seems that Bernier and the PPC are moving in the right direction on social issues, even though we can't endorse him in this by-election.

For now, I'm sorry to say that CLC is not in a position to make an official endorsement in the Portage-Lisgar by-election, but I do hope this information, laid out as neutrally as we can, will help in guiding the decisions of voters in the riding.

Thanks, and God bless,

Jeff Gunnarson
National President
Campaign Life Coalition