'Sneaky bill': 'Abortion is Health Care' billboard aims at Yorkton MP's Bill C-311
A new 'Abortion is Health Care' sign has been put up, this time in Yorkton.
The location was no mistake either, according to founder and executive director of Abortion is Health Care Signs Inc., Megan Johnston.
Johnston and her team chose Yorkton after seeing a bill tabled by Yorkton - Melville Conservative MP Cathay Wagantall.
“She introduced the bill on the premise that she wants judges to have to give higher sentences if someone knows a woman is pregnant, and attacks her, hurts her, or causes her harm in any way,” Johnston told CTV News.
Johnston believes the wording could lead to more restrictions on abortion access, if passed.
The amendments to the bill are as follows:
“Whereas Parliament wishes to denounce and deter violence against pregnant women by explicitly including pregnancy as an aggravating circumstance for the purpose of sentencing;
- (ii.2) evidence that the offender, in committing the offence, abused a person whom the offender knew to be pregnant,
- (ii.3) evidence that the offence caused physical or emotional harm to a pregnant victim.”
Wagantall responded Wednesday, calling the bill “simple,” and adding it is only “two lines.”
Johnston worries that the bill aims to grant personhood to a fetus, and adds that currently, judges do have the ability to grant aggrevating circumstances if a victim is pregnant.
“It’s kind of like this, sneaky bill, this first step bill that comes from the anti-abortion movement” she said.
Wagantall said the bill is not about limiting access to abortion.
“The two are not linked. There is nothing associated,” she said.
“These are people who have lost a loved one to someone who knew they were pregnant, and in a lot of cases, it is intimate partner violence.”
Within Wagantall’s petitions on Bill C-311 to the House of Commons, there is a nod to the bill’s ties to abortion.
“Canada has no abortion law. This legal void is so extreme that we don’t even recognize preborn children as victims of violent crimes,” a bullet point states within the petition.
Within the last seven months, Wagantall has tabled six petitions to the House of Commons, all relating to abortions and the claw back of charitable organization designation for pro-life organizations.
None have more than 48 signatures.
As for the billboard, Wagantall said it is “free speech,” and only raised an issue with “misinformation” coming from the Liberal government, creating the blowback on the bill.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
![](https://www.ctvnews.ca/polopoly_fs/1.6976926.1721883767!/httpImage/image.png_gen/derivatives/landscape_800/image.png)
LIVE UPDATES Critical infrastructure 'successfully protected': Jasper park officials
Jasper National Park officials in an update said all critical infrastructure in the townsite has been 'successfully protected, including the hospital, emergency services building, both elementary and junior/senior schools, activity centre and wastewater treatment plant.'
Canadian Olympic Committee removes women's soccer team's head coach over drone scandal
The Canadian Olympic Committee has removed women's national soccer team head coach Bev Priestman over a drone scandal, according to a press release from the organization.
Yukon woman narrowly escapes bear attack, credits hair clip
A woman in Yukon believes her hair clip helped save her during a bear attack.
Prince William's 2023 salary revealed in new report
Newly released financial reports show that William, the Prince of Wales, drew a salary of $42.1 million last fiscal year, his first since inheriting the vast and lucrative Duchy of Cornwall.
'I was just shocked': Jasper lodge owner on seeing property destroyed by wildfire
On Wednesday night, the owner of Maligne Lodge in Jasper, Alta., was shocked to receive a photo of her business engulfed in flames.
Mary-Ellen Turpel-Lafond likely has Indigenous DNA: report
The Law Society of British Columbia says a DNA test shows a former judge and Order of Canada recipient accused of falsely claiming to be Cree "most likely" has Indigenous heritage.
U.S. authorities have arrested 'El Mayo' Zambada, a historic leader of Mexico's Sinaloa cartel
Ismael 'El Mayo' Zambada, a historic leader of Mexico's Sinaloa cartel, and Joaquin Guzman Lopez, a son of another infamous cartel leader, were arrested by U.S. authorities in Texas on Thursday, the U.S. Justice Department said.
Harris pushes Netanyahu to ease suffering in Gaza: 'I will not be silent'
U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris pressured Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday to help reach a Gaza ceasefire deal that would ease the suffering of Palestinian civilians, striking a tougher tone than President Joe Biden.
'She led it the whole way': 18-year-old B.C. woman leads hikers to safety in Jasper National Park
As fire threatened people in Jasper National Park, Colleen Knull sprung into action.