Ottawa

The Centre vs. Stephen Woodworth

The Sun and Globe report that the Prime Minister’s Office is working to defeat Stephen Woodworth’s motion on the definition of life.

MPs are privately being reminded that support for fellow Conservative Stephen Woodworth’s motion would be considered a vote against Mr. Harper’s wishes. Word being spread in the Commons lobby recently by senior Tories – not the PMO – went even further, saying a vote for Mr. Woodworth’s motion is a vote against Mr. Harper … Mr. Harper is said to be determined to ensure motions or bills such as Mr. Woodworth’s never come forward again.

Sources tell the Sun that the Prime Minister wants the motion defeated before the House breaks for the summer, but Kady O’Malley notes that Mr. Woodworth has actually moved back in the order of precedence, meaning his motion likely won’t be debated again until the fall.

I wrote about Mr. Woodworth and the looming abortion debate for the magazine in February. My interview with Conservative MP Brad Trost is here.

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