Canadian parliamentarians debate family planning motion

23 MARCH 2010

Canada G8\MNCH

23 March 2010 | Ottawa – Canadian parliamentarians have debated and defeated a motion on the inclusion of comprehensive family planning in a proposed G8 initiative being brought by the Canadian government when it will host the leaders’ meeting in June 2010.

While voting against the Liberal opposition motion, Canada’s Minister of International Development, Bev Oda reaffirmed its plan to put forward a maternal, newborn and child health initiative as its major initiative at the coming meeting of the G-8 and its intent to not open the debate on abortion at the G-8.

Said Minister Oda: “The G8 countries, development organizations and non-governmental organizations have all expressed their support for the Prime Minister's focus on maternal and child health for this year's G8 summit. Over the next few months, we will continue to work in order to find the best approach....By voting against this motion, we are proving that we will not open the abortion debate.”

The Liberal motion, proposed by the Hon. Bob Rae, was debated for several hours, and finally defeated in a vote of 144 to 138.

Excerpt from the Proposed Motion
"...that, in the opinion of the House, the government’s G8 maternal and child health initiative for the world’s poorest regions, must include the full range of family planning, sexual and reproductive health options, including contraception, consistent with the policy of previous Liberal and Conservative governments and all other G8 governments last year in L’Aquila, Italy."

Earlier in the week, also in Parliament, Prime Minister Stephen Harper and International Development Minister, Bev Oda confirmed that their Government is open to contraception as part of its G8 initiative to save women's and children's lives. Minister Oda said: “As we have been saying all along, we are not closing the door on any options that will save the lives of mothers and children, including contraception.”

Please find below the text of the proposed Motion, and excerpts from the Parliamentary debate 18 March 2010, and a link to the debate held on the motion, 23 March 2010.

Also find a link to the full text of the Editorial written by the PMNCH spokesperson in Canada, Dr Dorothy Shaw, and links to other actions in Canada regarding MNCH and the G8 as well as some selected links to Canadian press coverage.

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