Mr. John Gormley (The Battlefords-Meadow Lake) moved for leave to introduce Bill C-226, an Act to amend the Criminal Code (abortion).
Mr. Speaker: Shall the Hon. Member have leave to introduce the Bill?
Some Hon. Members: Agreed
Mr. Gormley: Mr. Speaker, every year over 65,000 abortions are performed in Canadian Hospitals. An overwhelming number of these abortions are permitted because of “endangerment to health.” The present law has therefore become a loophole for what amounts to abortion on demand, which has resulted in the death of thousands of unborn children. The purpose of this Bill is to amend the Criminal Code to restrict the use of abortion procedures to those instances where the continuation of the pregnancy would or would be likely to endanger the life of the female person, exclusive of social or economic conditions affecting the female person or her family unit.
Motion agreed to, Bill read the first time and ordered to be printed.
Hansard, March 6, 1985
Editor’s Note:
In the March 1985 issue of The Interim, we published a speech given by Mr. Bill Domm (PC, Peterborough) in the House of Commons. Mr. Domm presented a petition from constituents requesting that abortion clinics be legalized. It should be noted that Members of Parliament are required to present any petition signed by more than three of their constituents. Mr. Bill Domm is a pro-life MP; it was not our intention to imply that he supported such a petition.
