MP Rachael Harder
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OTTAWA, October 3, 2017 (LifeSiteNews) — The Liberal-dominated parliamentary committee on the status of women voted down Conservative MP Rachael Harder as chair because of her pro-life record.
Harder’s defeat was expected after the Liberals staged a dramatic walkout last Tuesday to protest her nomination by Conservative leader Andrew Scheer.
Harder has a perfect pro-life voting record, and Liberal and NDP MPs on the committee claimed her pro-life views disqualified her from being a spokesperson for a body tasked with commenting on policies and legislation on women’s rights.
The chair for status of women committee — who is also committee spokesperson — is traditionally nominated by the opposition leader.
Although the Conservatives stood by Scheer’s choice of Harder, the committee voted Tory MP Karen Vecchio as chair against her wishes, reported CTV.
Vecchio, who told the committee in March she was “pro-choice,” could not get the committee to withdraw the motion nominating her and was essentially forced to accept the position, CTV reported.
Sheila Malcolmson, the committee’s lone NDP member, joined six Liberals to vote for Vecchio.
Malcolmson had earlier protested Harder’s appointment as shadow minister for status of women, and joined
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