Abortion Laws Tabled - And Not By The Conservatives!

Canada is unique from most Western countries in having no laws regarding abortion, but that might be changing. Liberal MP Paul Steckle has tabled a private members bill to outlaw abortion after 20 weeks gestation. Bill C-338 allows for exceptions when the mother's life is in danger, or the pregnancy will result in the mother's 'severe, pathological, physical morbidity'. It makes no exceptions for rape, incest or fetal informities.

"This bill, which aims to prohibit the deliberate provocation of a miscarriage after 20 weeks of gestation, is a step in the right direction," said a June 27 statement from the Catholic Organization for Life and Family (COLF). "We hope that the members of the Canadian Parliament will take advantage of this occasion to reconsider the best interests of Canada as regards the protection of the human fetus. This law would enable them to limit the damage that is caused to Canadian society by abortion."

Bill C-338, An Act to amend the Criminal Code (procuring a miscarriage after 20 weeks) is Steckle's response to the 1988 Supreme Court Morgentaler decision that struck down the existing abortion laws.

Pro-life MP tables new abortion bill

Maybe I just haven't been paying attention, but I never realized that abortions have been damaging Canadian society. Even without abortion laws, you would be very hard pressed to find a doctor in Canada that would provide an abortion after 6 months or a partial-birth abortion without some sort of compelling medical reason. Most of them won't perform these services.

Does our government not have any more pressing issues to discuss? Do we really need more laws?

Well, if it takes you 20 weeks to decide you don't want to have a baby, knowing your are pregnant, you SHOULD be stuck with it.

I always figured that one of the former Reform Party members would be the people to table a law like this. Interesting move by the Liberals.

Wonder how they will be using this during the next election, because you know that's what this is.

I'm kind of fond of the no laws, doctors behaving in a responsible manner honour system. That's just me.

When I first heard about the tabled bill, I expected to find a Conservative name attached to it. I was absolutely floored when I saw this came from a Liberal. It's pretty obvious they don't have any leadership at the moment or this never would have happened.

It'll be a little more difficult to talk about the Conservatives wanting to write abortion legislation when one of your own party members introduced a bill on it less than a year (give or take ) before the election.

20 weeks is 5 months along and already half way, so why bother? I think if a woman's going to have one (which I don't really think is a good idea except in really exceptional circumstances) she should get it done as early as possible.