A pro-life political advocacy group has issued its “CPC23 Recommended Voting Guide” in advance of the party’s upcoming convention in Quebec City..The Conservative Party of Canada (CPC) has released a 51-page document on policy changes up for debate and a 59-page document on proposed changes to the party’s constitution..In response, RightNow released a guide on how its supporters should respond, and notified them by email Aug 31..“These conventions happen every two years and are perfect opportunities for pro-life supporters to put forward and pass policies that make the Conservative Party of Canada a more pro-life party,” the email read..“Since November 2022, we have been working with supporters who sit on local electoral district association (EDA) board of directors to put forward and vote for pro-life policies to ensure they make it to the convention floor.”.RightNow supports three policy proposals. C-2 would eliminate GST on essential maternity and newborn products. C-11, put forward by the Carlton Trail-Eagle Creek EDA in Saskatchewan, would “amend the Canada Health Act to recognize palliative care as a separate and distinct right for all Canadians.”.C-14 addresses medical assistance in dying (MAiD) more directly..“In principle, the Conservative Party opposes euthanasia and assisted suicide. Furthermore, we oppose the extension of euthanasia and assisted suicide (MAID) to minors, to people who are not competent, and people who live with psychological suffering (mental illness), and people not terminally ill (their natural death is not reasonably foreseeable),” reads the proposal sponsored by the Thunder Bay-Superior North EDA..“We oppose MAID for people living with disabilities or mental illness seeking to die based on poverty, homelessness or inability to receive medical treatment. Euthanasia must not be an abandonment of people living with genuine needs.”.Such policies will be debated and voted in three different break out workshops on Friday Sept. 8, and RightNow recommends Workshop C: Health, Social Policy, and Criminal Justice..Only the top ten policies from each break out workshop will advance to the plenary session for a final vote Saturday Sept. 9. To be passed, each policy at the plenary session must receive both a majority of voting delegates across the country and a majority of delegates from a majority of the provinces..RightNow also gave a green light to some constitutional proposals, including three made by the Carlton Trail-Eagle Creek EDA..C-23 would force the leader and caucus to implement policy desires of party members. C-29 would ensure caucus could vote out a leader without needing approval of the Reform Act after each election. C-32 would force the party to tell a candidate why they were disqualified from representing the party. C-35 would allow incumbent MPs to be challenged for nominations in minority parliaments..The pro-life advocates, like C-1, a National Council proposal that senators be added to the parliamentary caucus. It also supports C-8, a proposal by the Foothills EDA in Alberta that would forbid the national council from disallowing a petition based on content alone. Another proposal, made by Kitchener Centre EDA, would allow EDAs to overrule National Council on candidate disqualifications..RightNow believes C-25, proposed by Thunder Bay-Rainy River would allow more pro-life candidates not on EDA boards to advance pro-life policies: “Every province and territory shall hold regional meetings for all Electoral District Associations, in order to provide grassroots members the opportunity to debate and vote on policy and constitution proposals, with the top-ranking proposals from each regional meeting to advance directly to the National Convention.”.The political action group gave a red light to changes proposed by the national council to give the party leader more direct control. C-3 would allow the leader to appoint a caucus liaison instead of being elected by fellow caucus members. C-5 would give the leader the same power for caucus representatives..RightNow also gave a thumbs down to ideas from local EDAs. C-31, proposed by a Nova Scotia EDA, could eliminate paper ballots in party elections. C-33, put forward by Calgary Heritage “could allow for abuse of appointing candidates by party officials” in RightNow’s view.
