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TORONTO, May 16, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) — Saskatchewan Member of Parliament Cathay Wagantall introduced a bill to ban sex-selective abortion because the majority of Canadians are “absolutely against” the practice, she said in an interview during Thursday’s Virtual March for Life and Rally.
According to a poll in the National Post, “84 percent of Canadians said that this should be illegal,” Wagantall explained.
“So in the environment we’re in right now, where our country is so divided… this, I felt was an opportunity for us to work together across the whole nation on an issue that clearly the majority of Canadians agree with,” she said.
Wagantall was among many prominent pro-life guests and one of nine Conservative MPs who sent video greetings during an online rally on day four of last week’s virtual March for Life organized by Campaign Life Coalition (CLC), Canada’s national pro-life political lobbying group.
The March for Life is Canada’s largest annual pro-life event, but coronavirus pandemic restrictions compelled Campaign Life to move the 23rd annual March online.
The event marks May 14, 1969, the day Pierre Trudeau’s Liberal government passed an omnibus bill legalizing abortion under certain circumstances. The Supreme Court of Canada struck down that law in January 1988, leaving Canada with no legislation on abortion.
Most Canadians are “appalled” when they learn this is the case, Wagantall told Campaign Life Coalition’s Josie Luetke.
Canadians are also shocked to learn sex-selective abortion is happening in Canada.
“There’s been research done in the last three, four years specifically in this regard and the Canadian Medical Association has come out saying actually this is a growing problem in Canada and that it needs to be addressed,” she said.
Her Bill C-233, introduced February 26, will make it a crime for any physician to knowingly carry out an abortion solely because of the sex of the unborn baby.
Wagantall also introduced Cassie and Molly’s Law in 2016, which sought legal protection for unborn victims of crime, but it was voted down by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s then-majority government.
“The advantage I have with this bill is that, you know, our government touts that they are about equality, equality between men and women, boys and girls, and so that’s the premise of this,” Wagantall said.
“If you are truly about equality and not discrimination against young babies in the womb that are girls, then you have to support this, and Canadians are calling on us to support it.”
Campaign Life’s Luetke said she was looking forward to “our feminist prime minister trying to defend his position on…sex-selective” abortions.
She urged pro-life advocates to sign the Campaign Life petition in support of Bill C-233, here. She also asked them to write to their MPs “and point out this bill has popular support. We should be able to say this type of abortion is abhorrent, at the very least.”
Eight Conservative MPs also sent greetings to the Virtual March for Life.
Arnold Viersen, MP for Peace River-Westlock, Alberta, pointed out that 300 preborn children are killed every day in Canada. “Who will speak for the preborn? You will and I will…There are more pro-life MPs than ever before. If we work together, we will be able to protect the preborn.”
Derek Sloan, MP for Hastings-Lennox-Addington, Ontario, who is running for Conservative leader, promised that if “elected as leader, there will be debates, there will be discussion, there will be votes on all aspects and issues surrounding abortion.” He told pro-life advocates: “You are doing the right thing to march today for life, you’re doing the right thing to stand up to those who are unable to stand up for themselves.” Sloan also talked with CLC political operations director Jack Fonseca about his 12-point pro-life plan (see related story here).
Garnet Genuis, MP for Sherwood Park-Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta, spoke about the need for religious freedoms to be respected. “Diversity is built on a foundation of freedom,” he said, but “we see threats to freedom of conscience and religion in government today… Members of Parliament need to stand up for those principles.”
Rosemarie Falk, MP for Battlefords-Lloydminster, Saskatchewan, encouraged everyone to keep the faith and stand firm in their convictions. “Thank you to each of you for your commitment to the sanctity of life, from conception to natural death. And every minute in between, life has value….Together we can shift culture and change the narrative.”
Michael Barrett, MP for Leeds-Greenville-Thousands Islands and Rideau Lakes, British Columbia, pointed out that “the dignity of the human person must be the foundational block of the truly right and just society. And I ask you to stand with us in support of the right for life for every Canadian from conception to natural death.”
Ted Falk, MP for Provencher, Manitoba, spoke about the tragedy of abortions. “In any given year some 100,000 Canadian lives are ended prematurely in the womb. Their deaths are not the result or threat or disease but of the unwillingness of Canada’s leaders to protect the rights of unborn Canadians.”
Tamara Jansen, MP for Cloverdale-Langley City, British Columbia, said she was honored to be a part of the march. “We need to keep going and ensure that our country has a robust palliative care system so that all Canadians can live with dignity till their natural death.”
Kelly Block, MP for Carlton Trail-Eagle Creek, Saskatchewan, spoke about how the march continues despite the pandemic. “It continues because we all care deeply about the value and dignity of each human life, from conception to natural death.”
Anthony Murdoch contributed to this report.