Roxanne's Law to protect pregnant women from abortion coercion defeated at 2nd reading
On Wednesday afternoon, December 15, the private member's bill of Rod Bruinooge was defeated by a vote of 97 YEAS to 178 NAYS. This was the vote on Second Reading meaning the bill now dies, unfortunately. Parliament has made the decision that it does not want to protect women and unborn children from abortion coercion.
You may watch a video (below) of the entire standing vote and hear the names of who voted YEA and who voted NAY. The first couple of seconds when the Speaker introduces the title of the Bill is missed. Rod Bruinooge cast the first vote.
We have provided the following final vote records:
-MPs who voted YES
-MPs who voted NO
-MPs who were ABSENT or ABSTAINED from the vote.
We encourage you then to contact those MPs who voted NO and ask why they opposed protecting a pregnant woman and her unborn child from coercion.
Although this skirmish was lost, the greater battle continues. We can take heart in the fact that simply reaching a Second Vote and having a vigourous public debate is beneficial to our civil rights movement. It was encouraging to see also that although Stephen Harper sabotaged the bill's chances of success by stating that the Government would officially oppose it, at least (3) Cabinet Ministers still voted YES, including Vic Toews, Stockwell Day and Jason Kenny. Ten Liberals also voted in support of the bill, including a surprising vote of support by the pro-abortion Ruby Dhalla, MP for Brampton - Springdale.
On the other hand, it was very disappointing to watch Gary Goodyear, MP for Cambridge, vote NO. Goodyear had been a reliable pro-life & pro-family MP who generally votes the right way. He failed Canadians by cow-towing to Stephen Harper and the abortion industry.
For interest's sake, you can read a press release that was sent out immediately following the vote by staunch prolife MP from Saskatoon-Wanuskewin, Maurice Vellacott.