The surprise abortion debate in the Conservative Party of Canada (CPC) leadership race could give Leslyn Lewis and Jean Charest a boost and make current leader Pierre Poilievre uncomfortable.
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For Jonathan Malloy, professor of political science at Carleton University and expert on the relationship between politics and religion, it is the latter who has the most to lose.
“Taking a strong position could work against Mr. Poilievre. If he’s too anti-abortion, he’ll damage the party’s reputation, and if he comes out as too strongly pro-choice, a lot of activists will get frustrated and leave the party,” says Malloy.
His campaign was the last of six to comment on the subject on Tuesday, which other candidates did not fail to note.
Like Harper
The professor expects Mr. Poilievre to adopt Mr. Harper’s position: to keep the subject at bay as much as possible knowing that it is not won for the majority of Canadians. His campaign made it clear that the right to abortion would never be affected.
L’establishment of the CCP understood this well: three candidates associated with the social right, including the current deputy Marc Dalton, were excluded from the race without a clear explanation.
On the other side of the spectrum, Jean Charest pulled out his old Progressive Conservative party clothes and clearly showed himself to be pro-choice.
“His strategy is to bring more people from the center or who are not traditionally conservative into the party,” explains the political scientist.
A source within the Charest campaign, however, affirms that the candidate will not make it his hobbyhorse, since being a believer himself, he does not intend to offend the sensibilities of pro-lifers of the CCP and “respect” their point of view.
An assumed candidate
On the other side, M.me Lewis, a Toronto-area lawyer, makes no bones about it.
“I am pro-life. I’m not ashamed to say it. Most of my friends are pro-choice. We are not afraid to discuss these issues, and there is so much we agree on,” reads a page on his campaign site titled “No Hidden Agenda.”