Ottawa, ON – Election 2021 is underway and policies related to abortion are already being discussed. Prime Minister Trudeau brought the spotlight to the issue by visiting the private abortion Clinic 554 in Fredericton, N.B. followed by an announcement that the government would be funding research into the availability of abortion in the province. Conservative Party leader Erin O’Toole commented in support of the government of New Brunswick’s ability to decide for themselves how to fund abortion in the province.
“Even though Parliament does not have jurisdiction over health care spending, we saw the leaders of the parties taking the opportunity to comment on the situation in New Brunswick even before the election was called. It shows how much abortion is not settled, with passionate Canadians engaged in this ongoing conversation,” said Tabitha Ewert, legal counsel for We Need a Law, a national organization that advocates for laws relating to abortion. “Far from being a closed conversation, many Canadians want to debate policy relating to abortion. From funding to the use of abortion to target girls, Canadians want to see Parliament engage in this conversation.”
The most recent abortion bill to be debated by Parliament was only a few months ago when MPs voted on a bill that would have prohibited sex selective abortion.
“Parliament recently debated Bill C-233, the sex selective abortion act. Despite all federal party leaders affirming their pro-abortion positions, 82 MPs voted in favor of this bill and the polls show that the majority of Canadians support a restriction on abortions used as sex selection,” said Ewert.
“Abortion is a topic of conversation every election. We look forward to that happening again this year,” said Ewert. “Many Canadians are pro-choice but also support a law against sex selective abortion. And not every pro-choice Canadian supports their taxes going to fund private abortion clinics,” concluded Ewert.
We Need a Law encourages politicians not to dismiss abortion as a political issue but remember that each abortion involves a pre-born child losing their life. Politicians should not ignore what Canadians are united on – a concern for gender equality from the earliest stages of life. We hope to see candidates talk about specific, actionable issues rather than personal beliefs, and so work towards protecting pre-born children here in Canada.
– 30 –
For further comment please contact us at
1-866-410-9625 // [email protected]