Ontario Progressive Conservative Leader Tim Hudak admits he “may have” signed a petition calling for the end to abortion funding in the past but promises not to reopen the debate if elected premier.
Hudak was responding to questions from the Star Monday regarding the Association for Reformed Political Action group listing him as someone who has “made it clear that he is pro-life and has signed petitions calling for abortion defunding and conscience legislation.”
Hudak said he will follow Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s lead and not revisit the abortion issue if he becomes premier Oct. 6.
The association has the post on its website, www.arpacanada.ca http://arpacanada.ca/index.php/issuesresearch/canadian-politics/577-ontarios-pc-leadership-race-where-do-the-candidates-stand END. The article addresses Conservative MPPs’ positions on certain issues in advance of the leadership vote in 2009. Hudak won the race on June 27, 2009.
“I may have signed a petition from my riding in that respect, but listen, let me be clear, we are not reopening this debate,” he said.
The Association for Reformed Political Action is a non-profit national organization that aims to make members of reformed churches more a part of public debate, said executive director Mark Penninga.
“The information we provided was all correct,” he said from Vancouver. “The email that made these points didn’t come from Hudak but someone in his campaign team.”
When the Star repeatedly asked Hudak if he is “pro-life” he refused to answer the question and walked away from the microphone.
Premier Dalton McGuinty has previously stated he supports a women’s right to choose. He was not available to comment Monday. But Finance Minister Dwight Duncan said Hudak’s refusal to answer the question speaks to his integrity.
“I think his integrity is an issue,” Duncan said.
“He does one thing then says another and tries to pretend he didn’t do it,” Duncan said, adding he is pro-choice. “I believe in the funding of it. But Mr. Hudak signs these things — I presume he reads them before he signs them — and I think that speaks to his integrity and to the kind of premier he would be.”
The New Democratic Party noted Monday it is the only party whose entire caucus has received a failing grade from the Campaign Life Coalition, a pro-life and pro-family movement.
Both Liberal and Conservative party members have tried to waffle on this issue, said NDP MPP Michael Prue (Beaches-East York).
“If he (Hudak) is a shade of grey, let him be a shade of grey. But don’t be telling one group that you want, and sign a petition, to defund abortion then tell everyone else you don’t want it to be an issue,” he said. “We in the NDP believe every woman has the right to choose.”
The Campaign Life Coalition says on its website that Hudak used to be “solidly pro-life” but has not responded to a questionnaire since 1995.
The website also notes Hudak, in 2009, chose to support an “openly lesbian candidate” in the St. Paul’s by-election. That candidate was Sue-Ann Levy, who lost to Liberal Eric Hoskins.
