By David Curtin 

Interim special 

Campaign Life Coalition's National President Jim Hughes has a simple message for pro-lifers in the run-up to Ontario-wide 
municipal elections November 10: "Seize the day." 

Hughes is hoping to stir people up, and raise awareness of the importance of municipal elections. 

"A lot of pro-lifers think it's only MPs or provincial legislators who can make a difference," Hughes said in an interview 
September 19, "but local governments have authority over a lot of important things, like public health." 

Public health bodies are responsible for increased attacks on human life at the local level throughout Canada in the last few 
years. Since 1995, the public health commissions of Vancouver, Calgary, and Toronto have aggressively promoted the 
"morning-after pill," an abortion-causing drug, for use by teenagers. 

Recognizing causes 

Municipalities also control many things of symbolic importance to communities, such as the proclamation of special days for the 
recognition of certain causes. In this matter, recent experience has shown the importance of electing good people to municipal 
office. 

In 1991, for example, Hamilton's Mayor Bob Morrow refused to proclaim a "Gay Pride Week"; and London's Mayor Dianne 
Haskett, an Evangelical Christian, recently did the same. Both were brought before the Ontario Human Rights Commission for 
their actions. Morrow lost; and a decision in the Haskett case is still pending. 

Regardless, they set a good example of courage and integrity for other political leaders, and awakened many ordinary people to 
the extremism and elitism of the anti-family movement. 

"So [municipal politicians] are already important," Hughes continued, "but they're about to get even more important, as far as life 
issues are concerned." Hughes explained that with the "downloading" of certain provincial responsibilities onto municipalities, 
local politicians will soon have more control over matters affecting the sanctity of human life. 

"Take so-called family planning services," said Hughes. "That's a euphemism for abortion and contraception, provided and 
promoted at tax-payers' expense. Lately, anti-life groups have been wringing their hands about how downloading might hamper 
'access' to such 'services.' If they're worried, I say we must be facing a golden opportunity to roll back the culture of death." 

In March of this year, a coalition of pro-abortion groups announced they would fight downloading, in order to protect their 
favoured causes. On August 23, The Toronto Star devoted two pages to a feature on their concerns."That article was 
revealing," said Hughes. "The pro-aborts are getting nervous. Even their own statistics show that after decades of fully-funded 
'sex education,' contraception, and abortion, the problems they're supposed to solve have actually exploded. Teen pregnancy, 
sexually-transmitted disease, family breakdown - every one has skyrocketed." 

"The Star article also revealed the real motivation behind pro-abortion opposition to downloading," Hughes continued. "They 
realize that the more ordinary people have a say over things like abortion, the less they'll support them. They're afraid of the 
people, and want decisions on crucial issues as far removed from accountability as possible." 

Local community ignored 

Hughes was referring to the following passage in the Star piece: "The Ontario [abortion-contraception] system has worked 
because the money hasn't depended on a local community's feelings about sex."Quoting Toronto "family-planning" pioneer Dr. 
Marion Powell, the article concluded that "when decisions move away from central funding, 'the clinics will be in jeopardy.'" 

Addressing himself to pro-lifers in Ontario, Hughes said, "Find out where your municipal candidates stand on life and family 
issues, and go to the polls on November 10. Your vote will make a difference, and on life-and-death matters."