Conservative critics

Now that Paul Martin has unveiled his cabinet, opposition leader Stephen Harper has chosen his own shadow cabinet. Rob Merrifield and Randy White were indeed demoted, with Steven Fletcher taking the former's place as health critic. Merrifield's offence was to suggest that "Canada's abortion policy should include counselling for women who seek to terminate a pregnancy." With him in mind, The Hamilton Spectator's Casey Korstanje rejoiced that "[h]appily. . . Canada's parliamentary system has a way of shaving off the extremists." Yet if Canadian voters agree that pro-lifers are extremists, why did they increase the number of pro-life MPs by ten on 28 June?