Conservative bill reignites abortion debate as Liberals announce funding

Conservative MP Cathay Wagantall's bill would encourage judges to consider physical or emotional harm to a pregnant victim as an aggravating factor during sentencing.

A private member’s bill from a Conservative backbench MP is stirring up debate over abortion in Canada, though the proposed legislation does not mention it even once.

Conservative MP Cathay Wagantall’s bill would encourage judges to consider physical or emotional harm to a pregnant victim as an aggravating factor during sentencing.

“It is focused on pregnant women being attacked by a third party who wants to cause injury or death to that individual,” said Wagantall, a Saskatchewan MP.

Wagantall opposes abortion but she said the legislation, known as Bill C-311, has nothing to do with that and is entirely focused on violence against women.

But the Abortion Rights Coalition of Canada is urging MPs to vote against the bill on the grounds that it promotes fetal rights, even though there is no mention of fetal rights in the text of the bill itself.

Executive director Joyce Arthur said some groups who oppose abortion view the bill as a positive step because they feel it would legally recognize “pre-born children” in the case of violent crimes, which is not the case now.

“On the surface, it might not seem like an objectionable bill, but there’s all kinds of associated reasons that we’re very suspicious of it,” said Arthur.

“I thought that was very revealing and very alarming in terms of, if this law was passed, how it could be misused, misappropriate by the anti-abortion movement, how they could build on it to try and establish further restrictions.”