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Andrew Scheer Names Anti-Abortion Conservative MP as New Status of Women ‘Shadow Minister’

Conservative leader Andrew Scheer's pick for Status of Women ‘Shadow Minister’ wants to restrict womens' access to abortions.

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Conservative leader Andrew Scheer’s pick for Status of Women “Shadow Minister” is a vocal supporter of legislation restricting women’s access to abortions.

Rachael Harder, an Alberta-based Conservative MP, was appointed the Conservative Shadow Cabinet Minister for Status of Women Wednesday despite a well-documented record opposing the reproductive rights of women.

During the 2015 election, Press Progress first reported Harder was one of 86 Conservative candidates who had vowed to vote for legislation restricting women’s access to abortions.

In a questionnaire to Campaign Life Coalition, one of Canada’s largest anti-abortion groups, Harder stated she would “support all legislative or policy proposals that would result in a meaningful increase of respect and protection for unborn human life” and indicated that the only circumstance where a “woman should have access to abortion” is when the “life of the mother” is at risk.

Harder’s responses earned her the endorsement of Campaign Life Coalition on account of her “perfect pro-life” record.

Two years later, Harder’s “perfect pro-life” record is no longer viewable online.

In a statement, CLC explained that Conservative MP’s records on social conservative issues were taken offline due to “bugs and glitches” associated with a website update that coincided with the announcement of the Conservative Shadow Cabinet Wednesday afternoon.

CLC stated that the timing was a “coincidence” and added that “the Conservatives didn’t ask us to remove her profile.”

Harder’s “perfect pro-life” record is still viewable through a copy of CLC’s website archived on July 21, 2017.

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During the Conservative leadership race, Scheer courted the support of social conservatives with policies that would empower anti-abortion activists and Conservative MPs looking to push a social conservative agenda.

After Scheer won the leadership, a number of powerful anti-abortion groups (including Campaign Life Coalition) took credit for helping influence the results.

Update: iPolitics reported Thursday that Harder has distributed over $10,000 in grant money since 2015 to pregnancy care centres in her Lethbridge riding that “refuse to refer clients to abortion providers.” 

 

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Photo illustration: Facebook.

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