Arpad Nagy's blog

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With a federal election looming in 2024 or 2025, all political parties are having contests to determine who their candidates will be. Considering this, I thought it useful for me to share a simple analysis of our federal parties from a pro-life perspective. 

At Quebec Life Coalition, we support pro-life values in all political parties and as such, I’m providing recommendations for each party. In our regular correspondence with you, we write more about certain parties simply because there are more possibilities to advance pro-life values in those parties. If you’re active in a party that we do seldom talk about, please let us know so that we can find better ways to encourage a culture of life in those harder to reach places.

Questions related to who to vote for and other political actions we may take will be addressed in a subsequent blog post. 

 

Here is my pro-life analysis of our federal parties, presented in the order of the current seat count in our House of Commons:

 

   Liberal Party of Canada (LPC)—Not too long ago, candidates for the LPC could profess pro-life values. It is only under the current leadership that pro-lifers were barred from becoming candidates for the party. In the past, many Liberal MPs were in fact pro-life and voted pro-life. The current position of the LPC is very hostile to the values of life. The LPC has openly discriminated against people who have pro-life values, notably through the Canada summer jobs attestation and through their promised to defund pro-life pregnancy care centres.

   My analysis: With the radicalization of the LPC in the last decade, and with their likely defeat in the next election, I expect things in the LPC to be shaken up. There will likely be a leadership contest to find a new leader and there will be many nomination races in various ridings to replace defeated MPs. In the coming years, the LPC will have to modify their approach to recapture their diminishing supporter base. This might bring forth possibilities to bring back an openness to pro-life values within the LPC.

   My recommendation: Our supporters who are members of this party have important work ahead of them. With a likely leadership race, it will be important to promote those leadership candidates who are open to values of life. Our supporters who are interested in becoming candidates with the LPC should do so even with the expectation to be rejected. Showing that the pro-life position is a normal position to hold as a Liberal is critical so that we can bring back free votes on our issues within the LPC.

 

   Conservative party of Canada (CPC) — The Conservative Party is the only party with sitting MPs in parliament who openly advocate for pro-life values. Several MPs from this party have brought forward legislation that encourages an openness to life and have initiated life-centred discussion in the House of Commons, in committees, and in private settings. There are, of course, many pro-choice MPs in this party as well. 

   My analysis: This is the party where we currently have the biggest impact in advancing pro-life values through politics. Currently, all openly pro-life MPs are from this party. In the past decade, this party’s documents have become much more in line with our values. Each convention has brought forth some strong policies or statements that support life and family. This was possible through the involvement of many pro-lifers within the internal political mechanisms of the party.

   My recommendation: I encourage our supporters who are not yet a member of any other political party to maintain an active membership in this party, as it currently has the greatest impact of determining pro-life policies in Canada. I recommend our supporters who are members of this party to attend their local EDA (electoral district association) meetings and to run to be on their local EDA board. If any of our supporters want to be candidates for this party, they will be allowed to run for nominations and should receive fair treatment from the party.

 

   Bloc Québecois (BQ) — The BQ assembles Quebecers from various political persuasions. There are members of the party that think like liberals, some that think like conservative, some that are even apolitical. What they have in common is that they want to advocate for Quebec interests at the federal level. Quebec Sovereignty is at the heart of their mission.

   My analysis: The BQ votes very consistently against what would be good for Quebecers when it comes to the issues of life. Whereas the membership of the party is varied, their sitting MPs seem to be the most radical of all political parties when it comes to our values. Nevertheless, I am hopeful that an involved membership will be able to redirect the party towards a more reasonable position on life. I expect that the BQ will tune back some of their positions once they start losing ground to parties that are more reasonable on the issues of life, but this is unlikely to happen in the near future.

   My recommendation: Any of our supporters that are members of the BQ should stand strong. Keep encouraging the party to be more pro-life, and promote life-friendly candidates for positions within the party administration. Any of our supporters who want to become a candidate for the BQ should expect heavy resistance from the party administration.

 

   New Democratic Party (NDP) — The NDP is the party that advocates for the working class. They are strongly in favour of unions and stick their neck out for the little guy by creating a strong social net in our society. Recently, the NDP has embraced certain ideologies that are drastically opposed to our values of life. Nevertheless, there are some places where we may agree. For example, all of the NDP MPs recently voted in favour of stopping the expansion of euthanasia.

   My analysis: There is potential for advancing the values of life within the NDP. The NDP has a natural tendency to increase the social net for those in need. Since many of our supporters are active in their communities where they put their pro-life values into action, there is real potential to network with well-intentioned people within the NDP to further help the vulnerable and marginalized. In regard to the direction of the NDP, I expect the modern elements of the party to put up a strong fight against the values of life. This might come to their detriment as a large part of the Canadian electorate is looking for a more balanced approach.

   My recommendation: I encourage our supporters who are a member of this party to keep voicing their position on life as a normal position to hold. Your involvement may be crucial to bring back a respect for life within the NDP. If any of our members want to be candidates for the NDP, they should expect heavy resistance.

 

   Green Party (GP)— The Green Party’s main purpose is to advocate for a certain type of environmental policy and social justice The GP has been able to elect a very select few MPs in federal parliament. Because of this, they are able to chime in and challenge the other political parties on their areas of interest.

   My analysis: Many of the core values of the GP may seem reasonable, but when it comes to converting them into policies, the GP is not aligned with our position on the issues of life. I expect the GP to grow in popularity as the name of their party is very much in line with the push for radical environmental policies in Canada.

   My recommendation: Any of our supporters who are members of this party should expect a hard time promoting the values of life. As this is a smaller party, there might be opportunities to have a bigger influence in certain areas through this party.

 

   People’s party (PPC) — The PPC was born out of disagreements within the Conservative Party. It has become a party that strongly advocates for our rights and freedoms, and the party leader openly welcomes pro-lifers to become candidates for the party. Although he is not 100% pro-life, this party leader, who was a former cabinet minister, has openly called for a debate on abortion. The PPC has been gaining popularity but they don’t hold any seats in our parliament.

   My analysis: The polls indicate that the PPC will not win any seats in the next election. If they did, they would prove to be a strong voice for the values of life in our federal parliament. Even without having elected MPs, the PPC is instrumental in challenging the Conservative Party to be more in line with the values of life.

   My recommendation: Our supporters who are members of the PPC should become more involved within the party. Participation in EDAs (electoral district associations) is key to keeping the party on track in terms of pro-life values. If any of our supporters have an interest in being a candidate for the PPC, they should expect to be fully welcomed in participating in the nomination process.  

 

   Christian Heritage Party (CHP)—the CHP is the only federal party that is fully pro-life and requires all their candidates to be pro-life. The CHP only gets a few percentages of the votes in the ridings where they field candidates. Last federal election, they only had 25 candidates out of the 338 federal ridings.

   My analysis: Even though the CHP has had very little success in terms of the number of candidates and in the number of votes, their influence will certainly increase if the number of their candidates increases. Whereas the core values of other parties may fluctuate, the biblical foundation of the CHP will ensure that the party will not shift with each social or political wind.

   My recommendation: Any of our supporters that want to be a direct witness to their values but otherwise do not have any serious political ambition should become a candidate for the CHP. This is a relatively low time and energy commitment. Being the pro-life and Christian name on the ballot in your riding would give a clear pro-life option on the ballot to the roughly 75,000 electors in your riding.

 

  United Party of Canada (UP)— An honorable mention goes to a new party that has every indication of fully promoting pro-life values. The leader of this party ran for leadership of another federal party in 2022 and was disqualified, and questions were raised regarding the grounds of the disqualification. The leader ran as the first (fully pro-life) candidate for UP in a recent by-election but received only 0.73% of the vote. 

   My analysis: Many of our supporters have often had a difficult time to find a party that is both successful and fully in line with their values. UP has the potential to grow into the party that fits this important need. 

   My recommendation: Any of our supporters who do not see themselves involved with other parties should reach out to UP. As this is a new political party, they will be looking for people to take on the vision of UP in your riding as candidates or as supporters.

 

 

Other political Parties: Many other political parties exist in Canada, but for the scope of this email, I will not go into them. Through quick research, their pro-life stance should be easily determined by looking at their website.

 

I hope this has provided you with some insight about how the values of life can mix with our different federal parties.

In future blog posts, I will expand on the value of the different political actions that we may choose to take. Have you ever asked yourself the following questions?

• Why should I vote if I don’t trust the system?
• Should pro-life candidates always be open about their pro-life position?
• Why should I be a member of a political party?
• What are the most impactful things I can do to advance pro-life through politics?
• How can I best help a pro-life candidate?
• Are there even any pro-life candidates in Canada and in Quebec?
• Should the values of life be the only criteria for our political actions?

In future blog posts, I will be addressing these questions and many more politics and pro-life related themes. Stay tuned in!

Arpad Nagy
Director of political operations

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I am currently writing to you from Budapest, the capital of Hungary. This coming Sunday, I will have the privilege to go to Paris to represent the Canadian Pro-Life movement at the 2024 Paris March for Life. Like at our Canadian National March for life, thousands of pro-lifers will gather for a beautiful public rally in defence of the lives of pre-born children! I will also have the privilege of inviting francophones from other countries to our first ever Quebec march for life happening in Quebec City on Saturday, June 1st!

During my time at the March for Life in Paris, I will have the opportunity to strengthen our ties to pro-life groups from many francophone countries. In these modern times, our ideological opposition has been very good in building a worldwide network that promotes abortion, euthanasia, LGBT and other anti-family and anti-faith ideas. We must do our own networking, but for good, not for evil.

I am also spending some time in Hungary. Hungary has of late brought forward some of the best life, family and faith policies in the world! I will spend several days networking with pro-life politicians and individuals here in Hungary. We hear a lot of talk about Hungary, both in pro-life and in conventional news, and I would like to explore what life is really like on the ground. Of particular interest to me is Hungary’s family policies. Hungary has been able, through sound fiscal and social policy, to slow the plummeting of the marriage rate and birth rate that has been plaguing most western countries.

Not unlike what we are facing in Quebec, Hungary has faced important questions related to identity, immigration, Christianity, and the survival of our subsequent generations, and Hungary has provided a way forward. I intend to explore the things that Hungary does well, things that perhaps could be implemented in Canada and in Quebec, in order to encourage changes that will better respect all life as well as honour our Lord Jesus Christ.  

We need your support so that we can continue in this important work—both in finances as well as in prayer. Our ideological opposition is very well financed, but we have recourse to people of good will, people who are also interceding to the Lord for the continuation of our mission. If you have not had the chance to contribute financially to our work recently, I invite you to do so today. Help us start this new year strong! If you have not included QLC to your regular prayer intentions, please do so as well!

I want to give a special thanks to my relatives in Hungary, as well some of our other pro-life collaborators in Canada and abroad who are helping with my lodging when I am working away from home. This helps enormously at keeping our costs low and in maximizing what we can accomplish with your donations.

Arpad Nagy

P.S. I had the privilege or attending church yesterday in the historic Hermina Chapel in Budapest. Here is a photo:

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