Opposition leaders need to speak out

Dear Ms. May, Mr. Rae, and Mr. Mulcair,

As you know, last week MP Mark Warawa's Private Member's Motion 408, "that the House condemn discrimination against females occurring through sex-selective pregnancy termination", was deemed non-votable by the Subcommittee on Private Members' Business of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs.

This means that the motion will not be allowed to go before Parliament to be voted on by members in the House. Yet the Motion was in fact deemed to be votable by the impartial Library of Parliament according to strict rules by the House.

I understand that the three of you are all pro-choice and that your parties are also pro-choice. Although I do not agree with the pro-choice position, which apparently is always against any legal protection for the unborn, in a democratic society, you and your parties are free to have these views.

What I don't understand, is why none of you have publicly spoken out against this perversion of the democratic process in Parliament, that took place in deeming this Motion non-votable. The fact that you are all pro-choice should have no bearing on the politics that allowed this to occur.

As leaders of the opposition parties, your role is to ensure that the government in power is accountable to the people, and such attacks on democracy are prevented.

Will you please look at this situation and bring your influence to remedy it? Democracy is waiting for you, and so are all Canadians.

Thank you.

Sincerely,
Patricia Maloney