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TORONTO, OTTAWA — The Harper government was quick to distance itself from the announcement that Henry Morgentaler, the controversial abortion doctor who changed the face of health care in the country, was named on Tuesday to the Order of Canada.
The Tories, no doubt sensing a brewing backlash from their conservative base, issued a brief response outlining how the appointment process has nothing to do with the government.
“The Conservative government is not involved in either deliberations or decisions with respect to which individuals are appointed to the Order of Canada,” the PMO statement said.
However, the advisory council does include the deputy minister of Canadian Heritage and the Clerk of the Privy Council, the department that reports to Stephen Harper.
Dr. Henry Morgentaler (Fred Lum/The Globe and Mail)
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Elsewhere, the appointment – coming on the heels of Canada Day celebrations – sparked a predictably heated response, highlighting the divide over abortion rights in Canada.
Joanne Byfield, president of Life Canada, said she feels sorry for those whose names appear alongside Dr. Morgentaler's.
“I understand people love Henry Morgentaler … but to make this an official Canadian position, which is to say we Canadians think this man is a hero because he kills babies for a living, is outrageous.”
But recipients of the prestigious national honour, and those whose names appeared on Tuesday's list, were either measured in their response or pleased that Dr. Morgentaler was named for his health-care and humanitarian work.
“I'm absolutely thrilled to be on the list at the same time as Dr. Morgentaler. I supported him. I supported his efforts. I think he's done more for half the population in this country … in terms of fighting for women's reproductive rights,” said Canadian Auto Workers union president Buzz Hargrove, who was named to the Order of Canada Tuesday.
Dr. Morgentaler, who could not be reached for comment Tuesday night, was expected to speak publicly today.
Even before Tuesday's official announcement, rumours were circulating about his appointment, and it had pro-life activists and supporters wading into the Order of Canada committee's decision.
While the Supreme Court of Canada struck down the country's abortion law in 1988, the debate over whether the practice should be legal, and in what circumstances, has not abated.
Thomas Collins, the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Toronto, said in a statement that the country's highest honour has been “debased” by Dr. Morgentaler receiving the award.
“Canada glories in the names of Banting and Best, and the other medical heroes who selflessly brought healing where there was disease and suffering,” he said in the statement. “Now it honours with the Order of Canada a medical man who has brought not healing, but the destruction of the defenseless and immeasurable grief.”
Others took a more restrained view. “I have spent my life in the health field and I've watched all the changes in our society,” said Sister Margaret Smith, who was made an Order of Canada member last year for her work starting up a drug and alcohol abuse centre. “But with the introduction of ultrasound when you can see the growth of an unborn child – I've had great difficulty and always will with Dr. Morgentaler's position. But I respect the committee that makes these decisions.”
Dr. Morgentaler's supporters, of course, were thrilled. They had made at least three major public attempts to nominate the doctor, their latest with a sense of urgency: There is no posthumous appointment, and Dr. Morgentaler is 84 and recently suffered a severe stroke.
Lawyer Clayton Ruby, himself a recipient and a friend of Dr. Morgentaler's, said the abortion-rights crusader deserves the recognition even morethan others. On a recent stroll with the doctor in downtown Toronto, he said that women would walk up to shake Dr. Morgentaler's hand and thank him for spearheading the fight to legalize abortion.
To the doctor's critics, Mr. Ruby said: “The debate is divisive, but honouring Henry is not. I say get over it … Henry fits this criteria. He has exhibited excellence and courage in making Canada a better place.”
Prior to the announcement, Conservative MPs had been issued talking points noting that Order of Canada appointments are made by an arm's length panel. The directives did not mention Dr. Morgentaler, but some suspected a controversial name was coming. Shortly after the announcement was confirmed, a new set of talking points was sent out to MPs along the same lines, reminding them of the appointment process.
Still, one veteran Conservative MP deviated from the script.
“I think it's a sorry day when they give that man the Order of Canada … He's not deserving of it. What has the man contributed to this nation?” asked Conservative MP Art Hanger. “Apart from providing a so-called service which I don't believe should be even offered in the nation, but is unfortunately, because we don't have a law governing the taking of life of the unborn.”
But Liberal Leader Stéphane Dion called for politics to be put aside and asked Canadians to look at Dr. Morgentaler's contributions to society.
“Dr. Morgentaler has stood up for a woman's right to choose for his entire career, often at great personal cost and risk,” Mr. Dion's office said in a statement. “The Order of Canada process has been designed to keep politics out of it and I think we should all respect and celebrate the decisions of the panel and the Governor-General.”
With a report from Dakshana Bascaramurty in Toronto
