OTTAWA, June 2 (LifeSiteNews.com) – A poll on the Sun Media website asks “Should provinces pay for abortions?.” The results thus far confirm the fact that most Canadians oppose public funding for the choice of abortion. Of nearly 3,500 people polled thus far 60% are against the funding of abortion. The results correspond exactly to a 1995 poll showing fifty-seven per cent of Ontario residents opposed tax-payer funding of abortion and confirm other similar polls taken in other provinces.
The 1995 survey, conducted by Environics Research for Campaign Life Coalition, asked the respondents whether a variety of health services should be funded through provincial medicare. Among the procedures mentioned were annual health examinations for all adults, in-vitro fertilization, abortion, reverse sterilization and cosmetic surgery.
A total of 57 per cent of the respondents across Ontario said OHIP should not pay for abortions. Only 27 per cent said the province should pay while 14 per cent said payment depends on circumstances.
In February, Reform MP Jim Pankiw (Saskatoon-Humboldt) introduced Bill C-440, “an act to provide for a referendum to determine whether Canadians wish medically unnecessary abortions to be insured services under the Canada Health Act and to amend the Referendum Act.” Pankiw said “if the electors agree that this should not be the case, an amendment to the Canada Health Act would be brought into force which would allow a reduction in fiscal transfers to provinces that allow such funding.”
To contact Jim Pankiw: [email protected]