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Trudeau calls U.S. Roe v. Wade reversal of abortion rights 'horrific'

Interim party leader Candice Bergen said 'Conservative Party will not introduce legislation or reopen the abortion debate'

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Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called the decision by the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade and allow individual states to ban abortion “horrific.”

“Today’s a difficult day,” he said Friday. “I think of those generations of women around the world and specifically in the United States, who fought so hard to gain rights and continue to fight today… and are facing this devastating setback.”

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Trudeau reacted to the decision on Twitter and in a brief joint statement with Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly from Rwanda, where the two are meeting with representatives from other Commonwealth nations.

The U.S. Supreme Court decision, released Friday morning, overturns a ruling that had been in place for almost 50 years and ensured constitutional protections for abortion. It’s expected Friday’s reversal will lead to abortion bans in about half of the United States.

Joly said Friday was a “dark day for women in the United States and around the world,” and took aim at the Canadian Conservative party.

“No country in the world, including Canada, is immune to what’s going on in the United States,” she said.

“Even last year, the Conservatives voted in favour of reopening the debate on abortion in Canada,” Joly said, referring to a House of Commons vote last June where most of the Conservative caucus voted in favour of a bill banning sex-selective abortion.

Joly said “right now, as the Conservative leadership race is happening, candidates are shopping for anti-abortion votes.”

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Interim Conservative leader Candice Bergen said in a statement access to abortion “was not restricted under Prime Minister Stephen Harper, and the Conservative party will not introduce legislation or reopen the abortion debate.”

She accused the Liberals of “importing issues from the U.S. in an attempt to wedge and divide Canadians.”

But even as most Conservative leadership contenders said Friday they were in favour of abortion rights in Canada, one of the candidates expressed support for some restrictions.

Leslyn Lewis said she was in favour of banning sex-selective abortions, “coerced abortions” and “ending abortion funding overseas.”

“Our party can decide whether we want to keep running from the Liberals or whether we are actually going to be a big-tent party of unity that can welcome all Canadians into our fold, allowing healthy discussions and productive conversations to take place,” she said in a blog post.

A spokesperson for Pierre Poilievre said he would not “introduce or pass any laws restricting abortion.”

Jean Charest said that though he recognizes “there are strongly held beliefs on this issue, reproductive rights in Canada are non-negotiable.” Both Patrick Brown and Scott Aitchison likewise said they supported a woman’s right to choose.

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NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh said in a statement that these “dangerous policies that threaten women’s health and women’s lives must not be allowed to take root in Canada.” He called on the Liberals to do more to ensure access, noting it’s possible that women from the United States will now start coming to Canada for abortion services.

“It’s crucial that the government invests in women’s health care and expands access to ensure Canadians can get the help they need, when they need it,” he said.

The Canadian Civil Liberties Association called the U.S. Supreme Court decision “an appalling step back in the ongoing struggle for equality,” warning that “the consequences for the health and dignity of women, girls and trans individuals who need abortions will be dire.”

The CCLA said most Canadians have access to abortion services through their provincial health care system, with the exception of New Brunswick, where 90 per cent of residents don’t have adequate access.

The New Brunswick government only funds surgical abortion services in three hospitals, located in two cities. The CCLA has launched a court challenge over lack of access in that province.

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During last year’s federal election, the Liberals promised to update the Canada Health Act to regulate access to abortion services across the country, and said they would use federal health transfers to make sure provinces follow the new rules.

In his statement, Singh said while the Liberals “say the right things about being pro-choice,” the government needs to do more to make “the much-needed and long-overdue investments in women’s health care services.”

“There is so much more the government can do to ensure better access to health care services for women living in rural and remote communities,” he said.

Trudeau said Friday that “in Canada, we will always defend women’s rights to choose and continue to work to expand access to the full range of reproductive health and services across the country.”

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