Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre on Friday promised his party will never impose laws to restrict abortion in Canada or make any changes to existing legislation.
Abortion is fully legal in Canada with no gestational limit — meaning a woman can terminate her pregnancy right up until the baby is ready to be born. There are no laws that criminalize or restrict abortion, and it is fully funded by taxpayers.
The Supreme Court in 1988 struck down laws criminalizing abortion, and in 1989 ruled a fetus is not a legal person with rights until the baby is born “alive and viable.”
A reporter at Poilievre’s press conference in St. Catharines, ON, noted “the victims of abortion” have been compared to “the victims of other atrocities such as Jews and the Holocaust” and asked if the Conservatives will repeal existing legislation.
“I can guarantee you there will be no laws restricting abortion passed when I'm prime minister,” replied Poilievre.
“For 20 years, the policy of the Conservative party has been that there will be no restrictions brought in on a woman's right to choose.”
“It's been in our policy since it was adopted by our party members in the year 2004 — so this is a 21-year policy adopted by our members and upheld in all of our subsequent conventions.”
“So there will be no laws or other restrictions imposed on a woman's right to decide to do with her body as she wishes, and that is something that I am guaranteeing to you and to all Canadians.”