Don't Be Fooled: The Truth Behind Bill C-543

Most of you reading this are probably aware of Bill C-484, the Unborn Victims of Crime Act (if not, see blog post below). However, you may not be aware of Bill C-543, a bill which claims to be a better, "less controversial" alternative to C-484. Don't be fooled, you savvy reader, and here's why:

- Bill C-543, brought forward by Liberal MP Brent St. Denis, is simply a counter-bill made solely for the purpose of detracting support from Bill C-484.

- To understand Bill C-543, let's look at Canada’s legal system. When sentencing, judges are permitted to consider “aggravating circumstances”. These are facts or situations that a judge thinks should make the offender more guilty, and therefore deserve a longer sentence.

- All Bill C-543 does is specify that pregnancy can be used as an aggravating factor. However, pregnancy can already be used as an aggravating factor. So basically this brings ZERO change to the legal system. Absolutely nothing new. So why does Bill C-543 even bother?

- Basically, those who oppose Bill C-484 believe that it will recriminalize abortion by making the fetus a "person". This is not true at all. They also believe that the bill will be used against pregnant women. This is false; the goal of the bill is to protect pregnant women. So, all C-484's opponents want to do is bring down the bill, which is the purpose of Bill C-543.

- If that's not enough, you should know that Mr. St. Denis has already introduced a Private Members Bill this Parliament. Basically, that means that Bill C-543 cannot come up for debate in this current government (or Parliament), so it has no chance of being passed.

In summary, don't be deceived into thinking both bills do the same thing. Bill C-543 does nothing new to protect women's rights, whereas Bill C-484 is making real progress. Lets not halt progress; lets expose the truth behind Bill C-543.

You can:

- Write letters to the editor; you would think that Bill C-543 would be easily exposed, but no one has pointed out its obvious flaws.

- Tell everyone you know about this, so that they don't support Bill C-543 without knowing its true and deceptive purpose.

Thanks so much for responding to this call to action. You are being a righteous nation changer.

- Jonathan -