Right to Life has been advised by a reliable source that the Prime Minister and the Minister of Justice abused their authority and used their power to exert pressure on a number of Labour MPs to vote in support of the Abortion Legislation Bill at its first reading on 8th August. The Prime Minister gave an assurance on the TV 1 Breakfast programme on 6th August two days before the vote that it would be a conscience issue and that she did not know how Labour MPs would vote.
Right to Life believes that for our Prime Minister to exert pressure like this is indicative that we are living in a dictatorship and her actions are an affront to our Parliamentary democracy.
Right to Life also considers that It is simply unbelievable that she and the Minister of Justice did not know how her MP’s were going to vote. We believe that she knew after intense lobbying exactly how many of her caucus were going to vote for this contentious anti-life bill.
Right to Life asks why the Parliamentary Press gallery who have the duty to be the watchdog for the community have remained silent?
The vote was 94 to 23. A total of 42 Labour MPs dutifully voted for the Bill, while to provide a semblance of democracy Right to Life believes that a mere four courageous MPs were permitted to break ranks and vote against the Bill. This anti-life bill emanates from a violent culture of death, it does not compromise, it allows no opposition and destroys all in its path.
There are 17 list MPs in the Labour caucus, 16 MPs voted for the Bill and Right to Life believes that only one brave list MP was permitted to vote against the Bill.
Right to Life is passionate in defending the right of our Parliamentarians to exercise their God given conscience in voting. It is absolutely critical for our Parliamentary democracy that Members of Parliament are not subject to coercion to subject their conscience either from outside Parliament or from those who exercise power within caucus.
List members are particularly prone to coercion from those who have power and authority within government or caucus to demand that their MPs vote as instructed, lest their names be taken off the list for the next election.
Right to Life requests that the Prime Minister give the nation a categorical assurance that Labour MPs will be allowed an absolutely free conscience vote at the second reading of the Abortion Legislation Bill.
Ken Orr
Spokesperson,
Right to Life
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