Evaluation Terms Explained
- Pro-life -candidate has answered questions pro-life
(some may have a few exceptions) or has pro-life record.
- Pro-abortion - information is sufficient to state the
candidate supports the provision of abortion services under
many circumstances
- Refused to respond - candidate definitely received
questionnaire, was contacted a few times in person or by phone.
- Failed to respond - questionnaire was sent to the candidate
but CLC follow-up was not possible or evidence is not sufficient
that the candidate was able to respond to the questionnaire
- Supports Reform or referendum policy - many Alliance
candidates qualified their answers with an indication that,
regardless of their personal opinion, they will vote only according
to the wishes of constituents or the results of a national referendum.
Some went so far as to state this and refuse to provide the
voters any information about their personal views.
Where there is no mention of referenda in our summary for an
Alliance candidate, he/she has not qualified the response by
giving priority to referenda, and in many cases is committed
to ignoring Alliance policy and following his conscience.
- Agrees or disagrees with the statement that
consensus cannot bind legislators to abrogate inalienable human
rights. This refers to question #10 for Alliance candidates.
The statement they are asked to agree or disagree with is from
Stockwell Day's response to the CLC questionnaire to party leadership
candidates. The statement provides a limit as to how far consensus
can bind MPs to act against their consciences.
- Believes that national referendum is the
only vehicle for defining the rights of the unborn. This
refers to question #11b for Alliance candidates. Many Alliance
candidates believe that the abortion issue cannot be resolved
through traditional parliamentary process. They believe it is
an exception and must be determined by a national referendum
rather than via government or private member bills. This attitude
is a carryover of the populist policies of the old Reform party.
- Not pro-life - gave some pro-life answers
but other answers or other information make it clear that candidate
is not pro-life, even if he considers himself to be.
- The NDP supports abortion on demand and
the legalization of assisted suicide - This phrase, reflecting
official NDP policy, is used mostly for those that we were unable
to contact.
- Submitted Liberal
Party response
Many Liberals responded only with the party's official response
to the CLC questionnaire. This response states that "The
Liberal Party supports a woman's right to choose". Therefore,
the candidate can be assumed to be pro-abortion
- No information
available - we
were not yet able to determine that candidate has refused to
respond or that candidate has seen the questionnaire
- 1997 - any comments
after this refer to pro-life evaluation comments from the 1997
federal election
- SPLA
- some Saskatchewan candidates responded to a questionnaire
that had just a few of the questions and was drafted and distributed
by the Sask. Pro-Life Association
It should be
noted that our comments about a given candidate in the "candidate
summary" column may differ from the candidate's self-description.
Our classification is ultimately based on the candidate's record,
and where he stands politically - not on his "private views" or
"personal opinions." |
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