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Member of the Board of Internal Economy Deputy House leader of the government

Mark Gerretsen

  • Member of Parliament
  • Member of the Board of Internal Economy Deputy House leader of the government
  • Liberal
  • Kingston and the Islands
  • Ontario
  • Voting Attendance: 68%
  • Expenses Last Quarter: $112,228.33

  • Government Page
Context: House Hansard - 309 - May/6/24
Mr. Mark Gerretsen (Kingston and the Islands, Lib.)
  • May/6/24 8:04:25 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, this is what I am worried about. This bill talks about contraceptive medication. In particular, when we talk about a woman's right to choose, what I am worried about is that the Conservative Party of Canada— Some hon. members: Oh, oh!
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Context: House Hansard - 309 - May/6/24
Mr. Mark Gerretsen (Kingston and the Islands, Lib.)
  • May/6/24 3:39:39 p.m.
  • Watch
Mr. Speaker, my question is about pharmacare, in particular, the contraceptive angle of this and the supports it is going to provide. At the heart of this is really a woman's right to choose. I found it very alarming that, on Friday, the member for Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes stood up in the House and said, “A common-sense Conservative government would use the notwithstanding clause only on matters of criminal justice.” It was in the nineties when it was actually made a crime to perform an abortion. What we have seen is that the Supreme Court, using those charters rights, overturned that law. We now have Conservative members saying that, in terms of criminal justice, which that law was, Conservatives would consider using the notwithstanding clause. In theory, Conservatives could bring back a similar law to that which was in the nineties, using the notwithstanding clause to make sure that it stuck, something that the Supreme Court would not be able to overturn. I find it alarming that, only a year after the United States reintroduced legislation regarding a woman's right to choose and preventing it, Conservatives are now toying with and basically laying out the framework for how they would restrict those rights in the future. I am wondering if the Minister of Health would like to comment on that.
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