SoVote

Context: House Hansard - 315 - May/22/24

Hon. Hedy Fry (Vancouver Centre, Lib.)

May/22/24 2:56:32 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, as a family doctor who delivered close to 500 babies, I am concerned about access to reproductive choice. Claiming to support reproductive choice is not enough. We must pass legislation that makes it fully accessible to all. The pharmacare act is a start. It would provide free contraception to over nine million patients. Unfortunately, our Conservative colleagues oppose it. They also oppose access to safe abortion. Will the Prime Minister reaffirm his government's promise to defend a woman's reproductive rights in spite of the opposition's efforts to deny it?

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Context: House Hansard - 315 - May/22/24

Right Hon. Justin Trudeau (Prime Minister, Lib.)

May/22/24 2:57:13 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for Vancouver Centre for her decades of leadership. We will always support a woman's right to access reproductive health care, both in our words and in our policy. The Leader of the Opposition pretends to be pro-choice, but supports his Conservative caucus members tabling anti-abortion legislation. He cannot have it both ways. If the opposition leader truly believed in the right to choose, he would condemn any effort to restrict reproductive choice and freedom, including from within his own caucus.

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Context: House Hansard - 315 - May/22/24

Ms. Julie Dzerowicz (Davenport, Lib.)

May/22/24 3:16:16 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, while our government works to provide pharmacare, expand child care, introduce a national school food program and build housing, Conservative MPs are giving speeches at anti-abortion rallies. Reproductive health is health. Women have the right to choose when and if they start a family. With members of the House threatening to take this right away from Canadians, what is the government doing to strengthen reproductive rights?

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Context: House Hansard - 315 - May/22/24

Hon. Arif Virani

May/22/24 5:07:45 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I thank the member opposite for his contributions today and every day in this chamber. What I would say is that it is critical. It is critical for basic equality. It is critical for basic things such as women's control over their own bodies and their reproductive rights. I know that that this can sometimes be a divisive issue on that side of the House and, in particular, within that caucus. On this side of the House and among progressive parties that are represented in this chamber, it is not controversial whatsoever. We stand by a woman's ability to control her body, to control her reproductive processes, and if that means providing free contraception, that is exactly what we will do with this bill, and we will proceed with haste to achieve that goal.

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Context: House Hansard - 315 - May/22/24

Hon. Arif Virani

May/22/24 5:21:28 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I am going to talk about the medication that would be covered under this proposal, which is diabetic medication and contraception. I am struggling to find any shred of a basis or rationale for the Conservatives' opposition to this. What I can only conclude is that the very issue of contraception is somehow some sort of sacred cow for the Conservative Party because it touches upon the very important notion, which we believe in firmly on this side of the House, in alliance with some of our progressive allies in this chamber, that women, and only women, have the right to have control over their own bodies and their own reproductive processes. What impact would this have on women? It would have a significant impact. Not having affordable access to effective contraception can increase the risk of unintended pregnancies and impact life plans, such as going to school or advancing in one's career. By giving women this control, we would be not only helping their health care outcomes, but also helping their economic and education outcomes. Certainly, that is not something the member for Pitt Meadows—Maple Ridge would oppose for his female constituents.

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