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Historical
listing of Anti-Abortion Motions and Activities
by Members of Parliament
Prepared
by the Pro-Choice Action Network, June 4, 2004,
www.prochoiceactionnetwork-canada.org
Motions/Bills
· March 14, 1996 - Reform MP Garry Breitkreuz (Yorkton-Melville,
Saskatchewan) calls for national referendum on tax-funding
for abortions.
·
October 29, 1996 - Reform leader Preston Manning calls for
national referendum to place a ban on abortion in the Constitution.
·
March 1997 - Reform MP Keith Martin (now an independent) introduces
private member bill to charge pregnant women who abuse alcohol,
drugs etc. with criminal endangerment of fetus. Guilty women
would be sentenced to treatment centre.
·
November 20, 1997 - Breitkreuz reintroduces private member’s
motion M-268 calling for a binding national referendum on
government funding for "medically unnecessary" abortions.
·
April 18, 2002 - Breitkreuz introduces motion M-392 asking
the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights to examine
the current definition of “human being” in the Criminal
Code to see if the law needs to be amended to provide protection
to fetuses and to designate a fetus/embryo as a human being.
·
June 17, 2002 - Breitkreuz introduces motion M-523 asking
the Standing Committee on Health to evaluate whether or not
abortions are "medically necessary" and the health
risks for women undergoing abortions compared to women carrying
their babies to full term.
·
October 30, 2002 - Alliance MP Maurice Vellacott (Saskatoon-Wanuskewin)
reintroduces his conscience clause legislation for debate,
for health care workers who refuse to take part in procedures
such as abortion for reasons of conscience and religion.
·
September 30, 2003 - Breitkreuz introduces motion M-83, asking
the justice committee to examine whether abortions are medically
necessary as defined by the Canada Health Act, and to compare
the health risks of women undergoing abortions compared to
women who carry their babies to full term. Breitkreuz got
over 10,000 Canadians to sign petitions supporting this motion,
which was defeated Oct. 2.
·
October 23, 2003 - Breitkreuz introduces motion M-482 asking
Parliament for a Woman’s Right to Know Act, which would
"guarantee women are fully informed of all the risks
before deciding to abort their baby” and provide penalties
for physicians who perform an abortion without the informed
consent of the woman.
·
March 11, 2004 - Breitkreuz introduces motion M-560 calling
on the government to create a new criminal code offence for
the "murder of an unborn child" when a third party
murders a pregnant woman.
Other
History
· February 24, 2002 - During a nationally televised
leadership debate, all four Alliance leadership candidates
tell potential voters they would not lead a push to have abortion
banned or delisted as a surgical procedure covered by medicare.
·
May 25, 2002 - Alliance MP Jason Kenney (now Conservative
incumbent for Calgary Southeast) speaks at the Alberta Pro-Life
Conference in Edmonton and says most abortions are not medically
necessary and should not be funded.
·
November 26, 2002 - Anti-choice MPs Tom Wappel (Liberal),
Elsie Wayne (Conservative), and Maurice Vellacott (Alliance)
release an open letter questioning Dr. Morgentaler's motivations
and accusing him of hiding lucrative profits from his abortion
clinics.
·
January, 2003 - Three anti-choice MP's issue a press release
criticizing the idea of awarding Dr. Henry Morgentaler the
Order of Canada. Paul Steckle (Liberal), Maurice Vellacott
(Alliance), and Elsie Wayne (Conservative) claim that Morgentaler's
"legacy" is one of harming women.
·
May 13, 2004 - Almost 20 MP's, mostly Conservatives, attend
the annual March for Life in Ottawa, organized by Campaign
Life Coalition, Canada's national anti-choice group.
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