Prime Minister, cabinet celebrate abortion, insist there should be more
Paul Tuns:
Sept. 28 was International “Safe Abortion Day,” and numerous Canadians acknowledged it on Twitter and in the House of Commons.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau tweeted: “Canadians have had access to safe and legal abortions for almost 35 years. To those who continue to fight for their safety and bodily autonomy: We’ll always stand up to those who want to take us backwards, and we’ll always defend your right to choose.”
Campaign Life Coalition Youth responded to the Prime Minister’s tweet: “There is nothing ‘safe’ about violently dismembering a human being in the womb. Not to mention, abortion jeopardizes women’s health. Canadian pro-lifers will not back down until we secure full legal protection for the unborn. 4 million unborn Canadians have been killed since 1969.”
Pro-life activist Laura Klassen, founder of Choice4Two, responded to Trudeau’s tweet: “Not so safe for the one being murdered. Trudeau should watch an abortion video so he knows what it is that he’s supporting. Either he is incredibly evil, or incredibly uninformed. As a woman, I’m disgusted that my country promotes such a barbaric practice.”
The Prime Minister’s Office also released a statement: “Today, on International Safe Abortion Day, we reaffirm our unwavering commitment to upholding a woman’s fundamental right to choose. No one should ever be forced to carry an unwanted pregnancy, and the Government of Canada is unequivocal in that pursuit.” The statement said Canadians “have had access to safe and legal abortions for almost 35 years thanks to decades of hard-fought activism” and that “Abortion is covered under our universal health care system.”
The statement committed the government to expand abortion services, continue funding pro-abortion organizations such as Action Canada for Sexual Health and Rights and the National Abortion Federation Canada, and promote abortion in the developing world.
The PMO statement concluded: “To those at home and around the world continuing to fight for their safety and their bodily autonomy: know that we will always stand up for your right to choose.”
Justice Minister and Attorney General David Lametti tweeted: “Abortion in Canada is legal and will always be protected by Section 7 of the Charter. Sept 28th is International Safe Abortion Day. Because still to this day, many continue to fight for safe, legal abortions. We stand with them, in the fight for the right to choose.”
Minister of Families, Children and Social Development Karina Gould tweeted: “On #InternationalSafeAbortion
Day, we continue the fight for access to safe and legal abortions. I will always stand up for your right to choose because access to safe abortions saves lives. #HerVoiceHerChoice.”
Minister of International Development Harjit Sajjin tweeted: “On #InternationalSafeAbortion
Day, we stand firm on our stance that every woman and every girl must have the autonomy to decide on abortion and matters related to their body–everyone must have the right to decide about their own future.”
Liberal MP Hedy Fry (Vancouver Centre) spoke in the House of Commons about promoting abortion abroad, stating “Canada must continue the life-saving work of increasing access to abortion in our own country and championing the issue globally.”
NDP MP Don Davies (Vancouver-Kingsway) replied to Liberals burnishing their abortion credentials, tweeting: “A right without access is illusory. It’s time to enforce the Canada Health Act and withhold transfers until every province and territory is in compliance.”
NDP MP Leah Gazan (Winnipeg Centre) tweeted: “Today is International Safe Abortion Day. We honour trailblazers who fought for the right to access safe and legal abortions and reproductive health care services. That fight continues. Reproductive health care access is still inequitable across Canada. #SafeAbortionRegardless.” She also rose in the House of Commons to castigate the government for not yet ending the charitable tax status of pro-life groups, specifically pregnancy care centres that Gazan claimed “spread misinformation on abortion care.”
NDP MP Nikki Ashton (Churchill-Keewatinook) tweeted: “September 28 is International Safe Abortion Day. Abortion is essential, normal, and common healthcare. Let’s bust the stigma and demand safe & legal abortion access worldwide! #28Sept #InternationalSafeAbortion
Day,
Green Party MP and leadership contender Elizabeth May (Saanich-Gulf Islands) tweeted, “#Sept28 is International Safe Abortion Day. It is essential that Canada commit to ensuring equitable access to legal, safe abortions for all Canadians. Access needs to be expanded in rural Canada. We cannot take access to abortion for granted. http://september28.org @WGNRR.”
Many Liberal and NDP MPs also retweeted the online message of Action Canada for Sexual Health and Rights (Planned Parenthood Canada), which stated: “September 28 is International Safe Abortion Day. Abortion is essential, normal, and common healthcare. Let’s bust the stigma and demand safe & legal abortion access worldwide! #28Sept #InternationalSafeAbortion
Day.” Action Canada followed up that tweet with “three actions you can take on#InternationalSafeAbortionDay!” including donating to their Norma Scarborough Emergency Fund to help women overcome financial barrier to abortion in Canada, signing the organization’s petition to the United Nations Human Rights Council to make abortion a human right, and read and distribute their brief on why Canada does not need an abortion law.
Jeff Gunnarson, national president of Campaign Life Coalition, told The Interim “the silence of pro-life MPs online was deafening,” noting that while “many left-wing MPs promoted abortion, there was no pro-life MP countering their lies and propaganda.”
