Federal Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau isn鈥檛 backing down from his stance on abortion, saying that party members will be expected to vote pro-choice in the House of Commons, no matter their personal or religious beliefs.
鈥淭his is about democracy,鈥� Trudeau told CTV鈥檚 Question Period in an interview that aired Sunday. 鈥淭his is about choice, and protecting that choice.鈥�
Trudeau said the Liberals鈥� new policy, that MPs must vote in favour of pro-choice legislation, doesn鈥檛 mean the party is necessarily weeding out anti-abortion candidates.
鈥淧eople are allowed to have their personal views, and are, of course, encouraged to have a wide range of personal views,鈥� he said. 鈥淏ut when it comes to legislating away a woman鈥檚 right to choose, the Liberal Party simply will not accept that. No vote by the Liberal Party can ever take away those fundamental rights that women need to enjoy in Canada.鈥�
Trudeau faced criticism from rival parties and, more recently, from one of his own MPs after he told reporters last month that anti-abortion party candidates would be barred during the nomination process.
Last week, Liberal John McKay, a Toronto MP who opposes abortion, was overheard slamming Trudeau鈥檚 policy remarks in a private conversation.
鈥淚 initially thought it was a bozo eruption, that he didn鈥檛 actually think about what he said,鈥� McKay is heard saying in an . 鈥淚鈥檝e had umpteen conversations with so many people about this. It鈥檚 driving me crazy.鈥�
Trudeau told Question Period that he understands McKay feels 鈥渧ery, very strongly鈥� about the issue, but said the Liberal Party needs to be 鈥渦nequivocal鈥� about its stance.
鈥淲e need to stand up and defend women鈥檚 rights and Charter rights,鈥� Trudeau said.
鈥淭his is not a position about trying to gain votes or trying to play a certain angle. This is very much a position of principle.鈥�
Trudeau also responded to criticism that he released major party policy in a reporter scrum, saying that at the time, he was responding to a direct question about pro-rights activists taking over the Liberal Party.
Trudeau told Question Period that his party鈥檚 stance on anti-abortion candidates was already in effect before his comments in the scrum.
He said the Liberals had already conducted about 100 鈥済reen light鈥� nomination interviews before the announcement was made, during which interviewees were asked about their stance on abortion. The intention was not to eliminate anti-abortion candidates from the nomination process, he added, but to ensure that they would vote with the party on all abortion-related issues.
Trudeau also responded to comments made by Prime Minister Stephen Harper at this week鈥檚 maternal health summit, during which the PM said abortion was too 鈥渄ivisive鈥� to fund.
鈥淚f we want to address maternal health around the world, women need to have access to a full range of reproductive services and options,鈥� Trudeau said.
The Harper government has pledged $3.5 billion over the next six years to improve maternal, child and newborn health around the world.
