There are few issues as polarizing in domestic politics as abortion. This is the case even in Canada, which is fanned by the flames of the American debate.
But in this country, a woman’s right to choose is not under assault by governmental and non-governmental actors. Our leading political parties — including the Conservatives — do not intend to restrict a woman’s right to choose. And any party that dared to try would find itself in court, tied up in constitutional litigation.
Even so, our leaders choose to expend limited public resources on political red herrings, while failing to address more pressing policy concerns.
The latest example of this is the Trudeau government’s plans to strip pregnancy support centres of their charitable status for failing to disclose that they do not offer abortion services.
As Canadian Affairs reported this week, the government says the move responds to “concerns” that pregnancy support centres may be dissuading pregnant women from accessing the reproductive care of their choice.
But in requests for comment, the government could not substantiate these concerns with data. This suggests, as Globe and Mail columnist John Ibbitson recently wrote, that the proposal is a political ploy aimed at making abortion an election issue when there is no reason for it to be.
This is unfortunate, given the real gaps in family planning policies that still exist in Canada.
In 2022, The Globe reported that women in some remote or rural parts of the country face barriers to accessing abortion services. Specifically, it noted that Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Ontario only offer abortion services in urban centres, despite about 40 per cent of their populations living outside those centres.
It would be an appropriate use of political resources for a government to focus on expanding access to these services to rural Canadians. This would be especially the case for the Trudeau government, which, as political scientist Tom Flanagan recently told Canadian Affairs, has made being pro-choice a “sacred principle of the party.”
Another pressing family policy matter that federal and provincial governments must address is child care. As Canadian Affairs’ reporting has shown, the existing nationally subsidized program is riddled with problems. Many families — particularly low-income ones — are unable to access subsidized care. And many child-care operators are struggling to remain afloat or to offer high-quality care under the terms of the subsidized program. Fixing these issues ought to be a priority for any government.
There is also the issue of access to medical treatments for individuals and couples who struggle to conceive. This outlet has argued that there is a strong policy case for governments to fund in-vitro fertilization treatments. The Ontario government’s recent decision to boost public funding for IVF is one laudable action in this area.
Another interesting policy idea is to improve support for women whose pregnancies end in miscarriage.
According to a recent Canadian Medical Association Journal article, 20 per cent of all pregnancies end this way. And 80 per cent of women facing miscarriage end up in emergency rooms, where they receive unsatisfactory care that contributes to preventable complications, emotional distress and high rates of return visits.
The article’s authors advocate for Canada to establish “early pregnancy assessment clinics” to manage pregnant women’s urgent needs and provide follow-up care. The UK — which has established 200 such clinics — has seen a “positive effect on physical and psychological well-being,” the authors say.
At Canadian Affairs, we are partial to babies. Indeed, the Editor of this outlet was fortunate enough to have delivered a healthy baby girl in October. Canadians in general are fortunate to have robust and generous programs in place to support the choices of those who want families, as well as those who do not.
But our programs are not perfect. In a world of finite resources and political capital, our leaders should not be squandering the resources we have on political games. They should be working to create better systems for all Canadians.
I could be wrong, but, judging from the storm clouds gathering south of the border, I would not be at all surprised if the Conservatives under Poilievre, decide to make abortion an issue, if, as seems likely, they win the next election. In the U.S. it was a very effective wedge issue that powered the rise of the religious right.
Reproduction should never have been used for political purposes; nowadays, it seems shameful to be pregnant. Let people decide; any service to assist pregnant women should be a free choice. To stop funding organizations that assist pregnancy or the option to abort or not should not be penalized.
Let politics stay out of reproduction!!!!
That horse left the barn a long time ago. These organizations are definitely political, their purpose is to steer woman away from abortions. It’s absurd to say that anyone is saying that pregnancy is shameful. Where is your evidence for this? And, by the way, imagining or feeling this is true doesn’t count as evidence.