Can a person be small?

Mr. Leon Benoit (Vegreville—Wainwright, CPC):

"Mr. Speaker, in light of the 85th anniversary of the Persons Case, I acknowledge the many Canadians who are working to ensure that all human beings are recognized in law. 

Canada truly is among the world's elite when it comes to valuing and protecting human rights, except that we are one of only three countries in the world with no legal protection for children before birth. Sadly, this includes unborn babies who are eliminated and have their precious lives ended just because they are girls. 

Britain knows it is wrong. Its Parliament declared sex-selection abortions illegal by a 181-to-1 vote.

Canada can fix this too. Let us start by having this Parliament condemn gender-selection abortion. What better day to recognize this than on Persons Day? 

As Dr. Seuss once said, “A person's a person. No matter how small.”

Leno Benoit is quite logical. Imagine that.

Democracy is not a sport

Well well well. Mr. Harper is facing some opposition to his Captain Universe and Supreme commander Persona (CUSP).

Some of his MPs are speaking out that their democratic rights are being thwarted. Mr. Mark Warawa, Mr. Leon Benoit and Mr. Rod Bruinooge aren't happy Commandees. No siree.

And lo and behold we even have Green Party leader Elizabeth May, lone Commander of a party of one, speaking out for, you guessed it, that pesky D word: DEMOCRACY.

Read what Government whip Mr. Gordon O'Connor, had to say about Mr. Warawa's complaint regarding Motion 408, and Ms. May's excellent reply:
"...However, Government whip Gordon O’Connor urged the Speaker to reject Warawa’s complaint, arguing that it’s up to each party to determine which of their MPs will be given a chance to speak.

“Put simply, this is a team activity and your role is referee,” he told Scheer.

“It is not your job as referee to tell the coach or manager which player to play at any given time. That is a question for each team to decide.”

But Green party Leader Elizabeth May said that analogy “cuts to the core of what is wrong with parliamentary democracy,” suggesting MPs “are here as teams, as brands or colours and we are all to take instructions from our team boss.”

“We are not here as teams,” May said. “The principle of Westminster parliamentary democracy is that we are here as representatives of our constituencies and our constituents.”

Noting that political parties are not even mentioned in the Constitution, May added: “They are not an essential part of our democracy. They have grown to be seen as the most interesting thing going on and we have grown to see politics as some sort of sport.

“However, democracy is not a sport.”

Go Lizzie go. You tell Mr. Whipper Snipper.

Interesting turn of events here. I wonder what the future may hold.

I've heard a lot of grumbling from the wee teeny tiny comandees (that's you and me, and we don't even get a CAP on the C because we don't usually count for too much if anything at all). And these little ittty bitty comandees are telling me that they won't vote for Mr. Harper next election time (neither will I as I've said before).

So...maybe we need to start a "Don't vote for Harper" next time we hit the ballot boxes with our puny little X's. Or maybe an "Anything BUT Harper" campaign.

Who knows. Maybe the Green Queen herself might give the CUSP a run for his democracy. Just saying.

How Harper hid his agenda that was hidden

In a bold move yesterday, Prime Minister Stephen Harper held a press conference in support of three back bench Conservative MPs. He was also surrounded by his entire 165 member caucus. He issued this statement:

I just want to tell all Canadians, that Brad Trost, Maurice Velacott and Leon Benoit, who spoke out against International Planned Parenthood, did this on their own.

What they did, one after the other, in quick succession, quickly and decisively, was to protect me from those who would accuse me of reopening the abortion debate. I have always kept my promise not to reopen the abortion debate. I said this from day one. That I would not reopen the abortion debate. I have kept this promise.

This is how I accomplished it.

When I was first elected in 2006, pro-choice Canadians kept saying I had a hidden agenda. They said that if I were elected, I would reopen the abortion debate. I said I would not reopen the abortion debate. I held firm and did not reopen the debate. I refused to talk about abortion. I was elected Prime Minister, albeit with a minority government, and I continued to promise not to reopen the abortion debate.

You may recall that in January of 2010 I announced my maternal and child health initiative to help mothers and their children in third world countries. This initiative did not include abortion. Shortly thereafter, the Liberals insisted abortion be included in the initiative and they brought forward a motion to include abortion in my initiative.

I, of course, as already stated, did not want to reopen the abortion debate. In fact in March of 2010, I clearly recall saying "we do not want a debate, here or elsewhere, on abortion." I remember I said that. I then instructed my caucus to vote against the motion. The motion was defeated. Even though abortion was on the table, it wasn't me who put it there. The Liberals did. I did not reopen the abortion debate.

Then this year, before I received my first ever majority government, one that I really, really wanted, I continued to tell everyone I would not reopen the abortion debate. I repeated this. Many times. Over and over again. I held firm to this promise.

Last week, Minister Bev Oda, promised International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) $6 million for family planning in third world countries. As many of you know, IPPF is one of the world's largest abortion providers. Their goal is to make abortion legal around the globe and to make abortion an international human right. Again, the abortion debate was on the table, this time opened by my faithful servant, Oda. But notice, once again, I did not reopen the abortion debate. Once again I did what I said I would do. I stuck to my guns so to speak (small pun there).

Now I stand before you, with my entire caucus, with my coveted majority government, and I say to you: I never once reopened the abortion debate. I still have no intention of reopening the abortion debate. I will never reopen the abortion debate. The abortion debate will never be reopened by me.

Abortion is now on the table, it has been unhidden from where it lay hidden all these years. And still I stand firm with my promise never to reopen the abortion debate.

I can never be accused of reopening the abortion debate. I have kept my promise.

Thank you.

DISCLAIMER: All characters and events portrayed in this posting are a satirical examination of the abortion debate in Canada. Some readers may not share this sense of humour.