The nomination meeting for a Liberal MP who has promised to toe the party line when it comes to abortion has moved from a Catholic church to a restaurant.
Online searches reveal the event for Lawrence MacAuley’s riding of Cardigan, P.E.I., was originally supposed to take place Monday evening at the Vernon River Hall at St. Joachim’s Roman Catholic Church, a venue run by the Holy Family Pastoral Unit.
Now Liberals are gathering at a restaurant called Red’s Corner.
A phone call to the restaurant and a press release on the Liberal website confirmed the new location.
The move raises questions about the Liberals’ relationship with the Catholic Church.
Earlier this year, Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau announced anyone running for the Liberal Party would be expected to vote in favour of pro-choice when it came to abortion.
Trudeau has drawn heavy criticism for this blanket policy, particularly from the Catholic community. Toronto Archbishop Thomas Cardinal Collins wrote an open letter calling on Trudeau to reconsider his position.
When Trudeau first revealed the policy, his comments suggested current MPs might be exempt.
“The existing MPs who have been grandfathered in to a certain extent will be respected, to a certain extent, in their choices, but our position as a party is we do not re-open that debate,” Trudeau said.
MacAuley, who has been an MP since 1988, said last week he expected to be permitted to vote on side with his own personal beliefs which are anti-abortion.
A spokesperson for the Liberal Party quickly contradicted this statement, stating any Liberal MP will be expected to vote in favour of abortion.
MacAulay later backtracked on Twitter, stating: “I accept and understand the party position regarding a woman’s right to choose. Despite my personal beliefs, I understand that I will have to vote the party position should this issue ever come up in the House of Commons.”
