Iggy Moment

Ignatieff talks abortion; will Tories take the bait? Feb 12, 2010 3:02AM EST

 

Kelly McParland: Michael Ignatieff's latest new idea, borrowed from George Bush

Posted: February 11, 2010, 2:01 PM by Kelly McParland 

Here's blogger Jeff Jedras's take on the phony abortion issue the Liberal party is trying desperately to stir up:

When Michael Ignatieff last week called on Stephen Harper’s Conservatives to pledge that access to safe abortion services will be part of the government’s ballyhooed G8 initiative to generate international support for improving maternal and child care in the developing world, he was attacked by the critics. Even though he was calling for an affirmation of what has been longstanding Canadian development policy under both parties – not to follow the George W. Bush route of tying development funds to personal moral and religious beliefs – Ignatieff was attacked by the critics for raising irrelevancies, for playing politics and trying to politicize the initiative. It turns out, however, that his fears were far from unfounded. In a story in Embassy Mag (behind a subscriber firewall, but I’ve pasted the relevant sections below) Canadian International Development Minister Bev Oda confirms safe abortions, and even contraception, will not be part of the Conservative push on maternal and child care: You can read the rest at Jeff's blog, here. Even for Liberals, though, this is appalling stuff. The government proposes a program to help improve health care for impoverished women, and the Liberals try to turn it into a question of abortion politics.

Click here to read more...

Harper has gone too far with 'hyper-partisan' attacks: opposition

OTTAWA - Opposition parties say Prime Minister Stephen Harper's office has gone too far with hyper-partisan attacks, and it's time to apologize and play fair. 11 February   Ignatieff's winning streak Bruce: There is something theatrically absurd about Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff pontificating on the meaning of winning -- no less for the oddly-chosen vehicle in which his puffery, "Winter Wonder Brand," appeared last week. MORE...

• Ignatieff sends list of questions for BC politicians to ask Harper
  Federal Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff says he has a favour to ask of B.C. politicians who will hear Prime Minister Stephen Harper speak inside the B.C. legislature today.

• Protesters to mass at legislature as PM speaks
• Prime Minister criticized for addressing B.C. legislature instead of Parliament