IN THE NEWS
April 30, 2004

Response to "Letter to Stephen Harper March 27, 2004"

March 29, 2004

Dear Ms. Speirs:
Thank you for your letter of March 24th. I welcome this opportunity to reply to your concerns about women in politics.

Let me first state that the Conservative Part of Canada is committed to the equality of all Canadians. While we recognize the importance of having men and women of diverse backgrounds in our party, we are firmly committed to ensuring that the responsibility for selecting candidates in the ridings remains with our grassroots members.

As a result, the women who are successful in our party owe their success to their own hard work. Moreover, many of these women have gone on to serve in key positions within our caucus, such as Diane Ablonczy, who currently serves as our Senior Citizenship and Immigration Critic. With the imminence of a federal election, my colleagues and I look forward to the possibility of having more women join those who currently serve in our caucus.

Thank you once again for taking the time to share your concerns about this matter.

Sincerely,
Stephen Harper, M.P.
Leader of the Opposition
Leader of the Conservative Party