Turner blames Trudeau for Abortion
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The author of legislation that legalized abortion in Canada will be
the chair of the annual Toronto Cardinal's Dinner on Oct. 18.
Former Prime Minister John Turner, as Pierre Trudeau's Justice
Minister, wrote and guided through the House of Commons the Omnibus
Bill that led to the legalization of abortion and homosexuality in
1969. Catholic pro-lifers are scandalized that for the second time
this year, a Catholic organization is using a prominent, pro-abortion
former politician as part of its fundraising efforts. Earlier this
year, former U.S. president Bill Clinton gave the keynote address at a
fundraiser for a Catholic hospital in Hamilton.
Turner is the 2001 Dinner Chair at the $175-a-plate fundraising event,
with monies going to the cardinal's personal charities. It will be
held at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre at 6 p.m. on Oct. 18.
Fr. Alphonse de Valk, editor of Catholic Insight magazine, told The
Interim it scandalizes the Catholic Church and when pro-abortion
politicians (or other pro-abortion personalities) are given a forum or
are bestowed other honours. "People who know their (abortion
proponents') views are unacceptable" should not invite pro-
abortionists to events or honour them, because "their behaviour is a
counter-witness to the truth the Church upholds," he said.
In an exclusive interview on the issue of his chairing the fundraising
dinner, Turner told The Interim that he did not liberalize the
abortion law. He said that, "I merely put into statutory form what the
courts were doing for 50 years - not prosecuting woman who have
abortions for health reasons."
Turner said that abortion laws were not liberalized until the Charter
of Rights and Freedoms was enacted in 1982. "You have to blame Trudeau
for that," he said.
Fr. de Valk said Turner is being disingenuous with this line of
argument. "The effects speak for themselves," he said, noting that in
1969, the last year in which abortion was illegal except to save the
life of the mother, there were 542 abortions in hospitals. After the
passing of the Omnibus Bill, the number of abortions skyrocketed to
11,152 in 1970, 30,923 in 1971 and rose steadily thereafter to more
than 100,000 abortions annually by in the 1990s. "There are now two-
and-a-half million dead unborn babies because of his legislation."
It is not lost on observers that Turner seems to be trying to distance
himself from the responsibility of the growing number of abortions.
During the 1984 federal election campaign, Turner proudly announced,
"I am one of the architects of the abortion amendment." Now, he blames
Trudeau and the Charter of Rights. Fr. de Valk noted that such a
distancing began more than a decade ago, when, in 1989 during a House
of Commons debate, Turner said the abortion issue represents a
conflict of two irreconcilable viewpoints. He added, "I believe our
duty is not to impose our own beliefs rigidly on the view of others
who may strongly disagree."
The Archdiocese of Toronto was preparing a public statement replying
to the reaction against Turner's role in the Cardinal's fundraiser,
but it was not released by the time The Interim went to press.
Archdiocese spokesman Suzanne Scorsone told The Interim the statement
"will satisfy everyone," but would not explain how.
The defence offered in past controversies by organizations that invite
pro-abortionists is that as long as they do not address the issue of
abortion, there is no harm done. Fr. de Valk said such a response, if
that is indeed the line they take, "reduces (proponents') view of
abortion to mere peccadilloes."
He called upon the former prime minister to admit that he made an
error and that his actions were contrary to Catholic teaching.
Turner told The Interim that there is no reason for pro-lifers to be
upset with his chairing of the Cardinal's dinner because "I didn't do
anything wrong. I consulted three Catholic theologians and they didn't
have any problem with what we were doing." He labelled those who
criticized his role at the Catholic fundraiser as "extremists."