Pro-Choice Call to Action

Dear Pro-choice Supporters,

Please send a letter to your MP asking them to vote against the private member's bill C-510, "an act to amend the Criminal Code (coerced abortion)." The bill was introduced in April and is scheduled for 2nd Reading vote on Nov 1.

Please check out the following link to some media coverage:
"Abortion vote inevitable, MP says"
For more info on the bill, see the Abortion Rights Coalition of Canada's press release in:

• English, and
  
• Français

How you can help defend women's rights?

Below is a sample letter that you can copy and paste into an email or a letter. Feel free to edit the letter or write your own. Address your email to your MP.

Look up your MP HERE.
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Sample Letter/Email:

Subject: Please vote against Bill C-510

Dear [insert your MP's name]

I'm writing to ask you to please vote against Bill C-510, an act to prohibit "coerced abortion", which is slated for a 2nd reading vote in Parliament on Nov 1.

Bill C510 is a private member's bill that would amend the Criminal Code to prohibit coercing a woman into an abortion via physical or financial threats, illegal acts, or through “argumentative and rancorous badgering or importunity”. It was introduced on April 15 by anti-abortion Conservative MP Rod Bruinooge (Winnipeg South), who chairs the Parliamentary Pro-Life Caucus.

I'm pro-choice and part of Canada's pro-choice majority. I believe this is an unnecessary bill that promotes abortion stigma, paternalizes women, and puts providers at risk. The bill is redundant because threats and illegal acts are already illegal under the Criminal Code, and counselors at clinics already screen for possible coercion in women seeking abortion. However, the anti-choice movement falsely believes that clinics coerce women into abortions, so we fear this bill may encourage frivolous charges against providers, as well as harassment and violence. The bill patronizes women by implying they are frequently coerced into abortion, but the vast majority of women make their own decision to have an abortion and take responsibility for it. If the intent is really to protect women from abusive partners, we need better and more comprehensive solutions than this bill.

The bill is supported and promoted by Canada's anti-abortion movement. It represents their latest attempt to get a foot in the door towards recriminalizing abortion. The bill refers to a fetus as a “child,” making it another Trojan Horse for smuggling fetal rights into law. As you may recall, the "Unborn Victims of Crime Act" from 2008 (Bill C484) passed 2nd reading
because its deceptive language fooled a number of pro-choice MPs.

Thank you in advance for voting against Bill C510.

Sincerely,

Don't sideline women's reproductive health care

For those of you who have been following the health care reform debate in the states, and thinking it's crazy, have a gander at this person's take on how it will affect women.

"Myths and misinformation are flying in the fight over health-care reform... One of the harshest and loudest promoters of this negative campaign is Rush Limbaugh, who recently said on his radio program, "Reproductive health care is abortion.""

And for those of you who may be thinking "Pfewf! SO glad we have public healthcare!", I had to pay $40 yesterday to see a doctor at a private walk-in clinic in Ottawa because they do not accept NB coverage - meaning if I couldn't pay, I would have to make my way to the hospital (no where near where I am) or not see a doctor. New Brunswick cannot afford private healthcare.