SAINT JOHN, NB-Pro-life Liberal Paul Zed is the newly-elected MP for Saint John, the riding held since 1993 by outspoken septuagenarian Conservative Elsie Wayne, also a pro-lifer. Wayne retired this spring and Zed defeated pro-choice Conservative Bob McVicar who had hoped to capture her seat.

The logical question for Zed was: "Does your Catholicism have anything to do with your being pro-life?" His answer: "It was the way I was brought up. It comes naturally."

And the natural thing to do, given the chance, is to stand up for his pro-life convictions, he says. Furthermore, he believes that advancing science is persuading many Canadians that life begins at conception.

When asked what he thinks he can do for his riding, Zed says been working on getting government money for a teen pregnancy project, called First Steps, which helps single teens to be good mothers, and to cope with their addiction issues.

As well, he recalls putting a panel of clergy together during his previous MP stint to handle a forum on euthanasia, to which he is strongly opposed. It simply makes sense, he says, to get clergy input on such issues.

"It is the natural thing to do."