Liberal MP opposes bill protecting pregnant moms because it gives ‘legal protection’ to unborn babies
by
‘This bill appears to be designed to serve as a steppingstone towards reopening the abortion debate in Canada, with the goal of conferring rights on the fetus,’ lamented Liberal MP Rachel Bendayan.
(LifeSiteNews) — A Liberal MP condemned a now-defeated bill to protect pregnant mothers from violence because it would “give legal protection to the fetus.”
On May 9, Liberal MP Rachel Bendayan told Parliament that voting for Bill C-311, which aimed to provide additional legal protections to pregnant mothers facing violence, would “reopen the abortion debate,” and therefore could not be supported.
“This bill appears to be designed to serve as a stepping stone towards reopening the abortion debate in Canada, with the goal of conferring rights on the fetus,” Bendayan argued.
“Let me be clear,” she continued. “Our government firmly believes that the right to abortion is protected by the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. We will never compromise on that right.”
On June 14, Bendayan took to social media to once again condemn the pro-family proposition, accusing the bill aimed at protecting pregnant women as being an attempt to “give legal status to a fetus here in Canada.”
Later today, @ourcommons will vote on the Conservatives’ latest attempt to reopen the abortion debate in Canada.@PierrePoilievre‘s decision to fast track this bill shows where his priorities lie. pic.twitter.com/evpYZxs6P9
— Rachel Bendayan (@RachelBendayan) June 14, 2023
As a result of Liberal and New Democratic Party (NDP) opposition to the Conservative-led bill, C-311 was voted down later that day.
Bill C-311, the Violence Against Pregnant Women Act, was put forward by Conservative MP Cathay Wagantall in February 2023. It aimed to amend Canada’s Criminal Code to specifically protect pregnant women from violent “killers” who “intentionally sought to do harm.”
“I stand this evening on behalf of pregnant women who have been and are facing violence while living in fear of injury or loss of their child. I stand humbly advocating on behalf of those who no longer breathe or have their voice and on behalf of their families, who have lost loved ones whose lives were taken in targeted violent crimes,” Wagantall said.
“There are more than 80 cases in recent Canadian history of women who have been killed while pregnant. Each of these women was killed by men who knew they were pregnant,” added the conservative politician.