…there’ll be more, too:

On the other side of the coin, what about the costs of the program and the risks? Hudak says it will cost $20 million a year. Critics suspect that’s low, possibly seriously low, when considering the cost of transporting and supervising nearly 3,000 provincial inmates, assuming all take part in the chain-gang program. What about risk and liability? Of that inmate population, estimates are that about 1,000 inmates are in jail for violent offences, ranging from sex crimes to accessory to murder. So, about one third of the people taking part in chain gangs would be violent offenders. In American jurisdictions, there have been at least 10 escapes from prison work crews — just in the past two months. That public safety risk is causing some states to revisit the use of chain gangs. Knowing these things, are you ready to have chain gangs working in your neighbourhood?

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Hudak ducks pro life question but admits he’s signed anti abortion petition (Hudak-Abortion)
Source: The Canadian Press
Jul 18, 2011 16:32

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By Keith Leslie

THE CANADIAN PRESS

TORONTO – Ontario Progressive Conservative Leader Tim Hudak appeared to shy away from his previous anti-abortion position Monday, saying he doesn’t plan to re-open the issue if he wins the Oct. 6 provincial election.

When he was running for the PC leadership in 2009, Hudak’s representatives told the Association for Reformed Political Action he is pro-life and had signed a petition calling for the defunding of abortions and to support doctors who don’t want to perform the procedures.

But Hudak seemed reluctant to confirm he had signed a petition when asked about it by reporters Monday.

“I may have signed a petition from my riding in that respect, but listen, let me be clear: we are not reopening this debate,” said Hudak. “Just like the federal Parliament, we would not be reopening that issue.”

However, the Opposition Leader refused to say if he still opposes abortion, walking away from the microphone when reporters asked repeatedly if he still considered himself pro-life.

The Campaign Life Coalition, an anti-abortion group, said Hudak was “solidly” opposed to abortion when he first ran for provincial office in 1995, but since then has not responded to any of their questionnaires “nor done anything related to life and family issues.”

Premier Dalton McGuinty, who was not available Monday for comment, has said in the past that he supports a woman’s right to choose and public funding of abortions to ensure they are safe.

Finance Minister Dwight Duncan, who also supports a woman’s right to choose, accused Hudak of flip-flopping on the divisive issue.

“I think his integrity is an issue,” said Duncan. “He does one thing and says another and then tries to pretend he didn’t do it. People have strong views on this, and he’s trying to have it both ways.”

The NDP pointed out it is the only party at the Ontario legislature whose entire caucus received a failing grade from the Campaign Life Coalition for its unanimous position supporting a woman’s right to have an abortion.

There are plenty of Liberals and Conservatives who oppose abortion and the public has a right to know where their leaders stand, said the NDP’s Michael Prue.

“Hudak did things to get the leadership that maybe he shouldn’t have,” said Prue. “He can’t have it both ways; if you believe that enough to sign the petition then you believe it, and if you don’t believe it enough he ought not to have told people that in the past.”

INDEX: ONTARIO SOCIAL JUSTICE POLITICS

UPDATE: “Stormy water” indeed.  He can’t “walk away” during the election campaign.  (Oh, what LifeSite reports about Hudak’s stated understanding of the law is wrong, full stop.  I expect they, or others, will correct him shortly.  Pretty pathetic, coming as it does from a guy who aspires to be the top lawmaker in the province.)

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Quote:

“When he was running for the PC leadership in 2009, Hudak told the Association for Reformed Political Action he is pro-life and had signed petitions calling for the defunding of abortions.

Hudak said Monday he “may have” signed a petition in that regard, but quickly added he has no intention of re-opening the abortion debate if the Tories win the Oct. 6 Ontario election.

However, the Opposition Leader refused to say if he still opposes abortion.”

All of us – pro-choice or otherwise – are entitled to know what he’d do on this issue, in the (now unlikelier) event he ever became Premier.

Keep at it, Dammit Janet, GritChik, Zerb et al.: you are driving this story.  Don’t let any Conservative fart-catcher suggest to you that it isn’t important.

(Personally, all this makes me remember Stockwell Day’s infamous no abortion “even in the case of rape or incest” statement.  I guess that’s why Tim Hudak was one of his most enthusiastic delegates and supporters.)

UPDATE: More here, now from the Star:  “When the Star repeatedly asked Hudak if he is “pro-life” he refused to answer the question.”

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This is a good start, but Ontario also needs to do what has been the law in Quebec for a long time: seal family law records.  Make them available for only parties to the action, or the presiding judge.

 

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UPDATE: Oh, wait. I’m not being fair. Hudak announced today he plans to put a GPS bracelet on the violent thug standing next to your toddler in the playground! Feel better?

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“A Liberal government analysis showing Ontario jails incarcerate hundreds of dangerous criminals is poking holes in Progressive Conservative Leader Tim Hudak’s pledge to release provincial inmates into chain gangs.

Documents obtained by the Star reveal that as of May 31, there were 2,885 sentenced inmates in Ontario institutions.

Of these, 16 prisoners were convicted of homicide-related offices – such as accessory to murder – 101 of serious violent offences, 79 of sex crimes, and 411 of assault.

While most such offenders do their time in federal penitentiaries, Ontario jails house their share of hardcore convicts.

“Tim Hudak is duping Ontarians by telling them his plan to put prisoners into the community poses no public safety risk,” Community Safety and Correctional Services Minister Jim Bradley said in an email Sunday.

“He hasn’t done his research and, as a result, is proposing a plan that risks endangering Ontario families in their own communities.”

UPDATE: This story is already having an impact.  A contact has told me that the scheduled PC event for today – at the Toronto East Detention Centre – has been scrapped, and hurriedly relocated to the safer confines Ontario PC caucus room.  Something tells me that the Hudak Cons are starting to realize that the centrepiece of their platform – namely, to put hardened criminals in Ontario neighbourhoods – maybe wasn’t such a good idea after all.

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…is mutual.

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Whose values are Canadian values? Yours, perhaps?

As you may have heard, but likely didn’t, some federal Liberals and New Democrats were in a bit of lather last week. During his mandatory annual visit to the Calgary Stampede, Prime Minister Stephen Harper bashed his opponents (as expected) and insisted his Conservatives are super-duper winners (ditto).

Then he said this: “Conservative values are Canadian values.” And: “Canadian values are Conservative values.”

boy! When he said that stuff, the progressive side of the commentariat promptly went bananas. Liberal Leader Bob Rae — whose party Harper amusingly described as relevant as “disco balls and bell bottoms” — declared Harper was sounding pretty arrogant, which was true.

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Yesterday’s postings by me, GritChik, Dammit Janet and others led to an eruption in nasty comments by partisan Conservatives here and elsewhere, some even paid Hudak staffers. Their responses took three forms:

1. You’re desperate, nobody cares abortion, blah blah blah.
2. Hudak’s desire to defund abortion is old news, who cares, blah blah blah.
3. I’m glad he plans to defund abortion, and it’ll happen when we win the election, blah blah blah.

You can decide for yourself whether any of those arguments are compelling.  Me, I intend to continue to highlight what – in any political race – is a very important issue: namely, shouldn’t people know that PC leader Tim Hudak has never renounced his stated  desire to defund abortion?

Here is that position, in black and white, which has never changed:

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