“Harper = not conservative” was never so evident as it was last week when the PM used his influence as party leader to ensure the defeat of the Hon. Stephen Woodworth’s Motion 312. The Harper majority government’s “Abortion is closed to Debate” neon sign burned brightly last Wednesday as 63% of his cabinet voted nay to having a debate on the protection of the preborn; this bill received less support than “Roxanne’s Law” received under a minority Conservative Government in 2010. It begs the question: what was the point of electing a Conservative majority? Motion 312 was simply a motion asking for a “debate” (a parliamentary committee to investigate when human life begins) and it was only debated long enough to have Parliament overwhelmingly vote it down. Our Prime Minister has disappointed us before by his unwillingness to debate important social issues; he said in 2006 that if elected he would reopen the marriage debate and then when elected he asked Parliament if they wanted the debate. They said “no.” End of discussion. Say what? Ask your political adversaries if they want to review their own previous bad legislation? That, folks, is not reopening the debate! However, once elected, he did say he would not reopen the abortion debate and true to his word, last Wednesday he kept his promise. Mr. Harper’s consistency in disappointing the pro-marriage, prolife social conservatives in Canada is hardly anything to celebrate. Some have been focusing on the fact that these private members’ bills and motions are at least bringing more public awareness to the issues around abortion; certainly the prolife MPs within the “Conservative” caucus have rallied and we tip our hats both to the movers of such bills and their vocal supporters. However, we need to realize that, as a percentage of the population, few Canadians follow in detail the debates going on in Parliament regardless of the issues at stake. What we do see when a prolife bill is introduced, is a marked increase in the vigour of activity of prolife groups who do and should monitor these issues with scrutiny. Let’s not overstate the hoped-for increase in public awareness. We have not yet motivated average Canadians to take the necessary steps to inform themselves and to take positive actions on behalf of the unborn. The fact that 87 Conservatives and four Liberals were willing to stand against the prevailing opinion of the House, the Prime Minister, and the mass media is a good sign, but why should they have this uphill battle against Mr. Harper and the PMO? Seventy-four “Conservatives” voted against M-312, including 24 Cabinet ministers, the PM himself being at the centre of its defeat. The Canadian public is most aware of and most engaged with issues and policies during elections. Take, for instance, when the Green party gained over 2% of the national vote for the first time. The result in future elections was a migration of environmentally-minded people to the Green Party: this increase in public awareness was regarded as a threat to those in Parliament who then chose to have a “green” platform rather than risk the possibility of losing their seats. The “environment” became very important to everyone. The various marches, campaigns, and protests over environmental issues had paid off; environmentalists had acquired a political vehicle: the Green Party! Their leader now sits in the House of Commons and can bring those concerns to the table. A simple migration of all the prolife and pro-marriage lobbies in Canada in support of the Christian Heritage Party could achieve the same result. Within one election we could easily achieve over 2% of the national vote; social conservatism nation-wide could create its own momentum and the prolife, pro-marriage revolution would become a Canadian reality! With CHP members sitting in the House, the PM could no longer ignore the social concerns of his party members and his MPs who have helped him form government. By the same token, Canadian prolifers could switch their emphasis from protest to promotion of godly, moral, life-affirming values because they would have a powerful political vehicle, dedicated to their cause: the Christian Heritage Party of Canada! I have heard every excuse under the sun, but it boils down to one: deception. The prolife lobby is divided and a house divided cannot win; many lobbies have gone so far as to be non-partisan. Conversely, environmentalists were very partisan and they quickly united amass behind their political vehicle. I want to be clear, CHP Canada is not a lobby group, nor does Canada need us to be. We are, however, unashamedly the only prolife political party in Canada united, preparing, and waiting for the day we can bring into law the protection of every child from conception. Join our ranks and help us build a political movement that can overturn the tables of political correctness and restore respect for human life across this land. Special Note: All ninety-one members of parliament who voted in favour of motion 312 are receiving a personal thank-you being mailed from my office on behalf of the Christian Heritage Party of Canada. Thank you to all of you who responded to our call to support MP Rona Ambrose, Minister on the Status of Women, for her vote in favour of M312. She showed strength of character putting her political future on the line, particularly in view of her portfolio, with the 90 other MPs who voted for M312.