The Conservatives are again pledging to not re-open the abortion debate following a HuffPost Canada story suggesting messaging to its candidates in Quebec on whether Tory MPs would be allowed to re-open the issue was unclear.

However, a statement provided to iPolitics by the party on Tuesday did not clarify whether Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer would allow individual MPs to present private members’ bills, petitions and motions against the right to abortion if the Tories form government following the October election.

Conservative MP Alain Rayes, the party’s Quebec lieutenant, had told a Quebec newspaper that Scheer “has confirmed that he will not allow even one of his MPs to present an anti-abortion bill.”

On late Monday afternoon, Rayes told HuffPost that he had an erroneous interpretation of Scheer’s stance on the abortion issue, saying he was “sorry for any confusion.”

In a statement provided to iPolitics by the leader’s office, Reyes said Scheer “has always been clear: A Conservative government will not re-open this issue.”

“He has delivered that message to all candidates and caucus members who have asked,” Reyes said.

“The previous Conservative government was in power for 10 years, and there were no changes to the laws on this issue.”

Rayes added that he has “always been clear with prospective Conservative candidates and in all my representations that a Conservative government would not re-open this debate.”

However, a number of Conservative candidates in Quebec, where abortion rights receive overwhelming support, have told media in the province in recent weeks that they were assured that the abortion issue would not be re-opened, and, in at least one case, that individual MPs would be whipped into not tabling anti-abortion bills.

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Conservative candidate for Rivière-du-Nord, Sylvie Fréchette, told a Montreal radio program on Monday it was false that the party’s backbench MPs would be able to re-open the abortion issue.

“That’s totally false,” said Fréchette, an Olympic medallist seen by some as a star candidate for the Tories in the province.

Rayes, who has been tasked to recruit strong candidates in the key province, had also told Le Journal de Montréal in a recent interview that “Scheer has confirmed that he will not allow even one of his MPs to present an anti-abortion bill.”

In response to a follow-up question on whether that is the case, Scheer’s press secretary Daniel Schow said “Canadians can rest assured that a Conservative government will not reopen this issue.”

On Tuesday afternoon, Liberal minister Melanie Joly accused the Conservatives of misleading Quebeckers on Scheer’s position on abortion in order to recruit candidates in the province.

“It’s unfortunate to see that women were recruited to be candidates based on false assumptions in Quebec,” Joly told iPolitics.

“That shows an issue with the Conservatives about how honest they are with Canadians.”

Meanwhile, Jessica Ebacher, the Tory candidate in Drummond, told iPolitics via email that she is a “pro-choice” candidate and affirmed her support for the Scheer’s stance on the issue.

“It is a desperate attempt by Liberals to re-open the debate,” she said. “Andrew Scheer has been clear and this is why I want to be an MP.”

Scheer had said in 2016 that “each individual MP has rights as members to bring forward legislation and to make statements to bring up topics that they care deeply about, either on behalf of themselves or their constituents.”

Despite courting the support of social conservatives during his leadership bid, and being one himself, Scheer has, rather conspicuously, avoided taking strong positions on social issues such as abortion and same-sex marriage as Tory leader.

While almost all private members’ bills are never made into law, they often represent the views of MPs and the constituents they represent.

Tim Powers, vice-chairman of Summa Strategies and former Tory staffer, said there is a balance trying to be struck by the Conservatives in not moving on the abortion issue as a government but allowing MPs to individually advocate on it.

“While we’re not going to open the abortion debate, we’re also with members who want to bring issues, be it abortion, or be something else, they can try,” he said, adding that there are options available for leadership to nix a private members’ bill if need be.

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Powers said barring MPs from tabling private members’ bills “sort of defeats the purpose of members getting elected and having the ability to raise an issue” important to them.

“Now, whether the party supports it or not, is a whole different thing,” he said.

A 2016 private members’ bill by Conservative MP Cathy Wagantall — the most-recent anti-abortion legislation tabled in Parliament — received the support of 76 Conservative MPs at second reading in a losing vote. Conservatives Sylvie Boucher, Peter Kent and Michael Chong had voted against the bill presented by their caucus colleague.

While some members of the current Liberal caucus have previously voted in support of “pro-life” legislation, MPs under the leadership of Trudeau are now whipped into endorsing abortion rights.

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