Motion Seeking to Determine Health Risks of Abortion Given Final House Debate

OTTAWA, September 30, 2003 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Canadian Alliance MP Garry Breitkreuz (Yorkton-Melville) began final debate on his Private Member’s Motion No. M-83 in Parliament Tuesday.  M-83 asks the justice committee to examine whether abortions are medically necessary as defined by the Canada Health Act and to compare the health risks of women undergoing abortions compared to women who carry their babies to full term.  Mary-Ellen Douglas, National Coordinator for Campaign Life Coalition (CLC) told LifeSite that this, and Mr. Breitkreuz’s past pro-life endeavors, has the full support of Campaign Life, and that it has been an honour to work closely with him.  Breitkreuz was last year’s recipient of the Joseph P. Borowski award in honour of his work for life in the political arena.  Religious groups are also backing the measure.  The Evangelical Fellowship of Canada, a national association of Protestant evangelical Christians which includes 115 affiliated denominations, ministry organizations and educational institutions, has written Members of Parliament asking them to support the M-83.  EFC argues that abortions cannot be considered ‘medically necessary’ since even abortion advocates have testified to the contrary.  Marilyn Wilson, Executive Director of the Canadian Abortion Rights Action League, testified before the Commons Finance Committee on October 31, 2001 saying, “Women who make the decision to abort a child at a certain point in their lives do so for socio-economic reasons.”  Breitkreuz presented petitions with the signatures of 10,679 Canadians who ask Parliament to support M-83.