Threats to abortion rights and Reproductive Justice under a federal Conservative government

Legal and political threats: 

Private member bills (PMBs) passing on a free vote with a majority Con government. (Poilievre’s pledge to not legislate on abortion appears to mean he wouldn’t introduce a government bill, as he supports PMBs). Potential bill candidates: 

• Establishing a fetus as a victim of crime 
• Criminalizing sex selection abortion
• “Conscience” protections for healthcare professionals (criminalizing employers who require healthcare professionals to provide care they disagree with, and giving broad immunity to belief-based care deniers with no recourse for patients)
• Mandating “life-saving care” and “intensive care” for fetuses allegedly born alive after an abortion
• Passing gestational limits on abortion in the Criminal Code
• Redefining “human being” in the Criminal Code to include zygotes 
• Criminalizing abortion for genetic reasons 
• Prohibiting research using embryos 

Further legal/political threats:

• No enforcement of Canada Health Act
• A “do nothing” approach to maintaining or abortion access, which would lead to erosion of access, and ignoring any issues that come up
• Increased lobbying by anti-choice movement to influence gov’t and establish anti-choice policies, as well as anti-trans policies

• Cancellation of child care agreements signed with provinces, which expire in March 2026.
• Privatization of healthcare, which threatens a wide spectrum of care, including reproductive health care (which itself is broad, including menstruation, menopause, contraception, gender affirming care, IVF, pregnancy including pregnancy-related complications, reproductive conditions or diseases, and abortion services). 

Funding threats

• Preservation of charity tax status for anti-choice groups – already a promise by Poilievre
• Promotion of adoption over abortion by Poilievre, which implies that CPCs may get substantial funding 
• Restoration of Canada Summer Jobs funding to anti-choice groups 
• Cancellation of Sexual and Reproductive Health Fund (SRH Fund) which provides funding for community projects 
• Cancellation or redirection of foreign funding for SRH, especially for safe abortion care
• Cuts to health care funding in general, which can have disproportionate negative impacts on SRH and 2S/LGBTQI+ care, and care for less privileged groups in general. 
• Abandonment of program for universal Pharmacare for contraception, such as ending efforts to reach bilateral agreements with the provinces, and cutting extra funding to the provinces. 

Provincial threats

• Cuts to the federal Health Transfer Fund to provinces, resulting in less SRH care, and possible downstream cuts to abortion clinic funding in some provinces 
• Conservative provinces could feel emboldened to pass restrictive policies/regulations, or let access erode (esp. Alberta and Sask). Potential examples of provincial bills: 
  • Parental consent laws for abortion
  • “Conscience” protections for health professionals (which means sweeping immunity for belief-based care deniers with no protection for patients) 
  • Attacks on Comprehensive Sex Ed in schools, which includes education on reproductive justice topics (eg, Bill 27 in Alberta)
  • Protection of free speech on campuses (translation: protection for offensive anti-choice speech and images)
  • Repeal of safe access zone laws 
  • Defunding of abortion by delisting it as medical necessary service 
  • Mandatory requirements for abortion seekers, such as anti-choice counselling