Possible reversal of Roe c. Wade in the United States | Canada’s anti-abortion movement reinvigorated

(Ottawa) Canada’s anti-abortion movement is energized by a draft US Supreme Court decision that would overturn Roe v. Wade. On the eve of its annual high mass on Parliament Hill, the Campaign Life Coalition (CLC) is holding a press conference this Wednesday in front of the Supreme Court of Canada to castigate the Liberals’ intention to defend this right in the country. .

Melanie Marquis
The Press

This is the very first time that the anti-abortion organization, one of the most influential in social conservatism circles in Canada, has set up a lectern in front of the building of the highest court in the country. The choice of location is obviously not trivial, says Pete Baklinski of CLC. “The symbolism is important; this is where the Morgentaler judgment fell in 1988 [qui décriminalisait l’avortement] “, he notes.

He continues enthusiastically. “The draft leak couldn’t have come at a better time for us. This is an issue that many people think is closed, but with what has just happened in the United States, it revives it in Canada, “he says before affirming that Justin Trudeau “proposes to enshrine the abortion in a law”, because “he and others who defend the right of women to kill an unborn baby are concerned about the effects that the American decision could have in Canada”.

Canada’s prime minister caused some confusion when he said a week ago that he was “not ruling out” the idea of ​​legislating abortion. But there is no question of presenting a government bill aimed at regulating abortion, the government has been assured.

We want to act on other fronts. For example, in the 2021 Liberal election platform, we promised to punish provinces that obstruct access to sexual and reproductive health care, and to no longer grant groups opposed to abortion an organization charitable.

The latter will obviously encounter resistance in the conservative ranks. At the end of question period in the House last Tuesday, three elected officials from Alberta led the charge by each filing a petition with identical wording to denounce this measure which “could jeopardize the status of a charitable organization hospitals, places of worship, schools, homeless shelters and other organizations […] who are not of the same opinion as the Liberal Party on this subject”.

The Trudeau government will announce this Wednesday afternoon funding to improve access to abortion services. The Minister of Health, Jean-Yves Duclos, and the Minister for Women and Gender Equality, Marci Ien, will detail the financial assistance measures.

” The debate is open ”

Year after year, in May, Conservative elected officials and senators take part in the “National March for Life” in the federal capital. In 2017, the leadership race of the party was invited to the rally – the one who would win thanks to the anti-abortion vote, Andrew Scheer, did not show up, but he had rushed to the hill deputies who were behind him, just to fill up on support.

This year, the Saskatchewan man set his sights on Pierre Poilievre, as did the majority of elected officials opposed to abortion, that is to say more than a third (a little more than 20 elected officials) of those in their fifties. of those who support him.

Obviously, Leslyn Lewis, whose “program without hidden intentions” on “pro-life policies” convinced some: six elected officials are behind the one who caused the surprise by snatching a third position in the last race for the management, in 2019.

The anti-abortion vote that M^me Lewis had managed to federate then benefited Erin O’Toole.

In the preferential ballot on September 10, such a transfer of votes could benefit Pierre Poilievre.

However, the CLC does not carry this one in its heart.

In the camp of the principal concerned, the spokesman Anthony Koch is content to react by indicating that “a Poilievre government will not propose or support any legislation restricting abortion in any way whatsoever”.

A position shared by his opponents, including Jean Charest.

On the set of the first debate between five of the six leadership candidates last Thursday in Ottawa, Leslyn Lewis tried to impose the issue of abortion, without much success. “She underlined the fact that voters still do not know the position of the other candidates,” said her spokesperson, Catherine Mongenais.

But for the CLC, the case is heard. “To the Conservatives, our message is this: the abortion debate is open,” argues Pete Baklinski.

We will have to see if we hear about it this Wednesday evening in Edmonton, Alberta, during the first oratorical contest overseen by the party, which will take place in English.