Singh calls vote on Conservative anti-choice activism « Canada’s NDP
TORONTO — NDP leader Jagmeet Singh was in Toronto Monday to announce that the party will use its opposition day in the House of Commons to force a vote on a motion to fight the rise of anti-choice bills, petitions and threats in Canada, and improve access to abortion.
Singh was joined by NDP critic for Women and Gender Equality Leah Gazan (Winnipeg Centre).
“It’s your body, your life and your choice,” said Singh. “Access to health care, including abortion care, is a Canadian value. But while Trudeau lets people down by allowing Conservative premiers to erode access, anti-choice crusaders have been calling the shots for Pierre Poilievre’s Conservatives. Poilievre claims he’s pro-choice, but allows his caucus to attack the right to choose again and again, and votes against choice again and again. I’m hearing more and more from women and gender-diverse people who are worried.
“Abortion is health care, and people should not have to worry about accessing care, facing barriers to care, or having to pay for care. They should be able to access it where and when they need it. The NDP is going to fight to protect it.”
Gazan said the motion is a priority for the NDP as anti-choice activism spreads and fear-grows.
“Women, gender-diverse people and our allies have seen anti-choice movements emboldened by the American reversal of Roe v. Wade,” said Gazan. “Justin Trudeau doesn’t enforce the Canada Health Act, so it’s already true that some people have to travel or wait to get a safe, trauma-informed abortion. And while that’s happening, Conservative premiers are attacking. Alberta Premier Danielle Smith is planning to hand hospitals over to a private organization that will not allow abortions to be performed, and Justin Trudeau hasn’t said a word about it. Women and gender-diverse people are worried about what’s next from Conservative premiers like Doug Ford.”
A 2024 Conservative MP’s petition demanding restrictions on abortion access claims derisively that 98 per cent of all abortions are for “social or personal convenience”.
In 2023, Conservative Michael Cooper used $597 of taxpayer money for anti-choice training from Canadian Physicians for Life, which praised the reversal of Roe v. Wade and called Canada “a lawless state of fetal killing.”
In 2023 the Conservatives tried to pass a bill to embed in the criminal code that life starts at conception.
In 2021, the Conservatives tried to obtain a ban on abortion by falsely claiming Canadians are regularly terminating pregnancies because they dislike the gender of the fetus.
Conservative MPs Cathay Wagantall, Rosemarie Falk, Jeremy Patzer and Arnold Viersen have all used their MP budgets to pay the Campaign Life Coalition for advertising.
Poilievre himself voted for these attempts to take away the right to choose five times — and has said he’ll let his caucus keep up the attacks.
BACKGROUND
Motion text:
Whereas the Liberal government has had nine years to expand access to abortion services in Canada, but failed to do so;
Whereas Conservative MPs have repeatedly brought forward anti-choice legislation that would limit reproductive freedoms and rights;
And whereas abortion is health care;
This House calls on the government to enforce the Canada Health Act and ensure equal access to publicly funded abortion care across all provinces and territories.
Five times Pierre Poilievre voted against the right to choose:
2008, Bill C-484
2010, Bill C-510
2012, M-312
2016, Bill C-225
2023, Bill C-311