Lots of people are wondering why Justin Trudeau raised the abortion question now. I don't pretend to know, but if a dark cloud is left hanging over the Liberal Party, it may have a silver lining.The stage has been set for a discussion that is long overdue: How much freedom do leaders need to make controversial decisions?The traditional view is that leaders are there to lead. And that is how Trudeau explains his decision on abortion. He felt he needed to clarify the Liberals' status as a pro-choice party, so he did.Others disagree. They say Trudeau is changing the party in ways that are damaging and unnecessary, and that he should never had made such a call.Andrew Coyne, a fierce critic on this, argues there is already an established way of dealing with matters of conscience: free votes. Why not just let MPs decide?But if this option sounds attractive, it raises questions of its own:
- Do free votes on such issues risk creating deep divisions in a party?
- While abortion may raise profound moral questions, many people feel the same way about domestic abuse, child poverty or prostitution. Why give abortion a special status?
- Even if an issue like abortion is not “settled” across the society, shouldn't political parties try to move the process along by settling it within their own ranks—as the NDP has done?