The Christian Heritage Party has chosen a pro-life resident of Tumbler Ridge to be its Skeena – Bulkley Valley candidate in the Oct. 19 federal election.
Donald Spratt was unopposed at a nomination meeting held Aug. 24 in Smithers.
Spratt “is a strong moral and fiscal conservative who unapologetically places historic Canadian founding constitutional principles above the political correctness of the progressive camp that make up the three major parties,” said party leader Rod Taylor in a release.
Over the years Spratt has established himself as a strong pro-life presence in protesting Canada’s move to legalize abortions.
It has resulted in his arrest several times in the last decade for being inside a “bubble zone” around abortion clinics.
The term “bubble zone” stems from legislation passed in 1995 which bans people from protesting within 50 meters of an abortion facility.
On one of the occasions, Spratt and fellow pro-life activist Cissy von Dehn were also charged with “sidewalk interference.”
The pair based their defence on the constitutional rights of freedom of religion and freedom of speech in saying they were only passing out copies of the bubble zone legislation.
But the B.C. Court of Appeal in 2013 found against Spratt and von Dehn, ruling that their behaviour constituted an act of protest carried out within the bubble zone.
Spratt’s nomination means that Taylor, from Telkwa, who has been the Christian Heritage Party candidate for the past four federal elections, won’t be running in the riding.
Taylor, chosen as the party leader last fall, is instead running in the Ottawa West-Nepean riding.
Taylor said he made the decision to run in the nation’s capital in order to raise the party’s profile.
