And what are we to think of mouthy little Brad Trost, the CPC backbencher from Saskatchewan who’s gotten into the habit of losing control of his yap and going rogue on the topic of abortion lately, even on nationwide TV?
Speaking to CBC’s Evan Solomon, host of Power & Politics, Trost said the government should “take a position that’s at least moderate, rather than the extreme left position that we’re taking.”
“I don’t think the government takes an actively left-wing position, but the government has taken an apathetic position toward it, and I don’t feel that’s appropriate. I feel that it’s a civil rights issue that needs to be addressed,” Trost said.
- Next up for Trost?
It’s a left-wing position but it’s not a left-wing position. Well, that makes sense. About as much sense as saying it’s a “civil rights issue” — meaning the civil rights of Joe Fetus, of course.
We already know that Trost’s views are shared with others in the CPC who could be characterized as Rabidly Anti-Abortion (*waves* Hi Cheryl). But the government has largely ignored the issue — it only seems to come up when some baffled little fart of a backbencher tables a goofy bill about “coerced abortions” or some such shit, it’s promptly shot down and life goes on.
The PM seems agnostic about it. Harper’s said many times that the issue won’t be raised as long as his ass warms the Big Chair, and has described his own personal position as “complex” and “not in any of the polar extremes on the issue”, which sounds suspiciously pro-choicy to me. But one thing is clear: it’s a toxic issue for Harper because it conjures up visions of the “Hidden Agenda” that have dogged him for years, so he mostly avoids it and strongly recommends his MPs do the same. Anyone who steps out of line quickly finds himself outfitted in a leathery “Gimp” suit, ball-gagged and hanging from the ceiling of Harper’s Secret Parliamentary Dungeon, where the unspeakable acts of discipline are carried out… ugh… ack! Screech
Whoops, got a little carried away there… But you have to wonder why Harper’s been so unresponsive while Trost yaps like a frenzied little anklebiter, barking his brains out about such a verboten topic. Maybe the Gimp suit is out at the dry cleaners?
Or maybe Harper knows that using a backbencher to make the social conservatives happy and take their minds off the things that make them unhappy:
“So in reinvigorating the debate as they have by funding IPPF, you’ll see more politicians like myself will be discussing the matter. In a respectful way, but it will be discussed,” he told CBC News following his interview with Solomon.
Trost said some social conservatives will feel it was a slap in the face. He admits he may get in trouble for speaking out against a Conservative minister’s decision.
…is just Good Politics.
