OTTAWA –
As the United States faces controversy over the possible repeal of the right to abortion, a new study offers a picture of how Canadians feel about it.
About four out of five respondents to an online survey by Leger and the Canadian Research Association said they supported a woman’s right to an abortion if she wished, while 14 percent said they opposed it.
Seventy percent of all respondents said they were concerned about Rowe’s expired plan against Wade, and nearly half said they thought the abortion situation in the United States could have an effect in Canada.
An online survey of 1,534 Canadians between Friday and Sunday cannot be attributed a margin of error, as Internet-based surveys are not considered random samples.
“Is it an old saying that if the United States sneezes, Canada will catch a cold, that whatever happens in the United States must have an impact on Canada?” That’s always been the way we position ourselves against the United States, “said Christian Burke, executive vice president of Leger.
Burke said the high level of concern is remarkable, given that the vast majority of Canadians say they support the right to choose to have an abortion.
“In Canada, every time there was an attempt to resume this debate, it was shut down pretty quickly. So why would some people now think that this would somehow start this debate in Canada? ”He said.
“It’s not as if there was this overwhelming feeling that Canadians’ views are changing on the subject.
The right to abortion does not exist in Canada in the same way as it is enshrined in Roe v. Wade, the remarkable 1973 decision that served as the legal scaffolding for defenders of reproductive rights around the world for almost half a century.
Abortion has been decriminalized in Canada due to a 1988 Supreme Court ruling, but no bill has ever been passed to enshrine access to the law, nor is it considered a constitutionally protected right under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
“We know Canadians like to pay attention to US policy, but I think that really shows that there are concerns about this leak of Supreme Court documents and what it is leading to right now in the United States,” Burke said.
About two out of three respondents to the survey said the Canadian government should introduce a bill to protect the right to free choice for abortion.
Many advocates fear that any effort to codify access to abortion in law in Canada would risk eroding these services. Restrictions on how late an abortion can be performed during pregnancy are set at the provincial or territorial level in Canada and are enforced by the medical community, not the courts.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government tried to reassure Canadians last week that it would protect access to safe and legal abortion, although it was not entirely clear how.
Trudeau said Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos and Women’s Status Minister Marcy Ian were studying the “legal framework” to ensure that “women’s rights are properly protected” in both the current and future governments.
Liberals promised during the last election campaign to introduce regulations under the Health Act of Canada to ensure that abortion services are considered medically necessary and publicly funded.
It is among the abortion campaign promises that have remained intact so far. The Liberals promised a $ 10 million information portal on reproductive health and rights, but there was no mention of it in the federal budget last month.
The $ 10 million promised to youth organizations to “meet the unique sexual and reproductive health needs of young people” has also not yet been realized.
This Canadian Press report was first published on May 11, 2022.
—
This story was created with the financial support of the Meta and Canadian Press News Fellowship.
Add Comment