(OTTAWA) The House of Commons on Tuesday will debate Conservative Cathay Wagantall’s Violence Against Pregnant Women bill, which Liberals say aims to reopen the abortion debate “through the back door.”
Posted 9:10am Updated 9:10am
The Saskatchewan official-elect, to whom we credit numerous attempts to reconsider abortion rights, held a morning press conference in House to discuss Bill C-311, which she introduced in January.
He proposes amending the Criminal Code so that “knowingly assaulting a pregnant woman” or “causing physical or mental harm” to her become “aggravating circumstances”.
“Canada needs this law,” Ms. Wagantall pleaded at the microphone, surrounded by people who have witnessed such a tragedy and who she says hope that “Parliament will take this bold stand for women.”
At the time of filing C-311, Liberal MP Rachel Bendayan saw it as a way to reopen the abortion debate, arguing that after Roe v. Wade in the US, “this right should not be taken for granted, not even in Canada”.
“It has nothing to do with abortion,” MP Wagantall argued, assuring that “from a legal point of view” it would not lead to recognition of the status of the fetus, while urging the media “to do their research”.
She also said that Chief Pierre Poilievre was in favor of her bill.
“Yes,” she assured unequivocally.
Shortly after Ms Wagantall’s press conference across Wellington Street, the Trudeau government announced funding to increase access to abortion services in Canada.
“I look forward to the debate,” said Minister for Women and Equality Marci Ien.
MP Wagantall’s recent attempt to reopen the abortion debate has failed. In June 2021, her gender-based abortion bill C-233 was defeated on a second reading, 248 to 82.
The Conservatives overwhelmingly supported him, but all elected members of the Quebec faction opposed it.
Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre, like his predecessors, has vowed that the abortion debate would remain closed under his leadership and that if a private MP’s bill were put to the vote, he would let his MPs vote freely.