Hours after three Progressive Conservative MPPs spoke at an anti-abortion rally outside Queen’s Park on Thursday, Ontario Premier Doug Ford released a statement saying his government will not reopen the abortion debate.
Niagara West MPP Sam Oosterhoff, Scarborough Centre MPP Christina Mitas and Brantford-Brant MPP Will Bouma each participated in the rally.
“For 50 years, Canadian pre-born children have been under attack. The human rights of the littlest citizens of our country have been ignored and their lives taken without their choice,” Oosterhoff said at the rally. “We pledge to fight to make abortion unthinkable in our lifetime.”
Mitas pulled from her own experience while speaking to the crowd, saying that she had a baby three months ago and that some people told her to have an abortion during her pregnancy.
“I am not married and we did not plan the timing. I had a number of people from all walks of life coming to me telling me ‘abort the baby because it is going to impact your career’,” she said. “Abortion has become a thing of convenience in this country.”
During Question Period, Ford was asked about the participation of his MPPs in the rally, but he handed the question instead to the minister of energy.
Interim Liberal Leader John Fraser said that while party members are free to express themselves, the premier should have had more respect for the question asked in the Legislature.
“It was very disrespectful to the women of this province for the premier to turn the question over to the minister of energy to give an answer that was totally unacceptable,” Fraser said. “It was an insult.”
Shortly after Question Period, a government caucus meeting was held.
A statement was issued around 1:15 p.m. from the Premier’s Office that said the government was not interested in opening up a discussion on abortion.
“The Ontario PC Party is a big-tent. We welcome members from a wide variety of backgrounds and beliefs. Out government is focused on protecting what matters most, cleaning up a fiscal mess left behind by the Liberals, making Ontario open for business and open for jobs, and lowering taxes for families,” the statement read.
“The Government will not re-open the abortion debate.”
Oosterhoff told reporters after Question Period that he stands behind the comments he made at the rally.
“To quote Dr. Seuss, a person is a person no matter how small. I’ve always said I am pro-life, I will always speak for children who are too young to speak for themselves, who don’t have a voice. I will always be a voice for the voiceless.”
Speaking to reporters, NDP Education Critic Marit Stiles said that she found the premier’s reaction to the rally, and the participation of his party members, “disturbing.”
“I don’t know who he is pandering to, but what he is doing is causing women around the province right now to be very scared about the future of their right to choose,” she said. “If that government and that Premier doesn’t have a clear view on a woman’s right to choose, well I can’t believe that hasn’t been decided or discussed.”
