Whatever is in Andrew Scheer’s heart today on social issues like abortion and same-sex marriage, we still don’t quite know.But the Conservative leader revealed on Thursday with clarity what’s in his head, vowing to oppose any effort to revisit either issue, including any attempt to advance social legislation from his own backbench.Pushing back hard after more than a week of Liberal attacks hinting a Scheer government might take Canada back in time to the social norms of the mid-20th century, the Conservative leader promised otherwise, saying, “I will always oppose measures that reopen these types of debates.”On same-sex marriage, Scheer spelled it out in both French and English, declaring the issue “settled’ since 2005.“A vote was held, it’s settled. Canadians have moved on, I’ve moved on,” he told reporters at Toronto Pearson International Airport. “I will always stand up for the equality rights of LGBT Canadians. It is completely hypocritical for the Liberals to bring this up now to divide Canadians, to use this issue for political partisan purposes.”On abortion, Scheer similarly dismissed Liberal fear-mongering, saying his government, should he be elected, would not touch the issue. Moreover, said Scheer, while it remains Conservative policy to allow a free vote on matters of conscience, he would oppose any backbench effort to reopen the abortion debate.Asked whether he would punish any MP who tries to introduce an abortion bill, Scheer noted that the Conservatives are “the only party that allows people to hold a deeply held personal view on these types of issues. That being said, we also recognize … we will oppose measures to reopen this. So I am confident my party, my caucus, understands that. And as I said, as prime minister of Canada I will always oppose measures that reopen these types of debates.”So this is where he stands. But on questions of how he got from ...
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