Chairperson of the Board May 27, 2014 Mr. P.J. Daly Honourable Justin Trudeau Leader of the Liberal Party Member of Parliament House of Commons Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0A6
[email protected] Dear Mr. Trudeau: The Board of Trustees of the Hamilton-Wentworth Catholic School Board wishes to express our strongest concern with your recent statements requiring that all future non-incumbent federal Liberal candidates be “pro-choice”. We, like many others, were deeply offended by your comments. Each day, within our schools, dedicated teachers and other staff support parents in sharing the good news of our Catholic faith with over 28,000 students. Among these teachings is the firm conviction regarding the sanctity of life from conception to natural death. In a letter sent to one of your predecessors (attached for your information), we indicated the truth that the most fundamental building block of a just society is respect for human life. Among all of the justice issues a society should view with grave concern, abortion is a key social evil, as well as a human rights issue. Beyond our hope/expectation that, as an elected leader, you would strive to protect fundamental human rights (including the right to life), we are deeply concerned as to how your comments/ position attempt/s to further silence the voices of people of faith. Of particular concern to us is the impact on the youth, our (near) future leaders. …/2 Honourable Justin Trudeau -2- May 27, 2014 ______________________________________________________________________________ Within our schools and in Catholic schools throughout Canada, thousands and thousands of students are involved in Student Councils, Culture of Life, Social Justice, Stewardship of the Earth and other student groups.