Len Webber – Position on Abortion

As you know, the United States Supreme Court made a decision to overturn the Roe v. Wade decision regarding abortion. Unfortunately, this has resulted in a lot of misinformation on the internet about where I stand on this issue. I am happy to clarify my position in light of these false statements.

Since being elected, I have maintained my promise to my constituents not to re-open the abortion debate in Canada. This is also the official policy of the Conservative Party of Canada, even if there are some individual members who would like to see changes. This has been Conservative policy for more than 15 years and will remain the same going forward. Canadians do not want to reopen this debate.

I have always strongly believed that women should be presented with every option available to them throughout their pregnancies. I believe that this information should come from regulated medical facilities and licensed healthcare professionals, in addition to (but not instead of) any counselling, religious or otherwise, that an individual sees fit to seek. Ultimately, it’s a woman’s right to choose.

At the same time, we must also protect the rights of medical personnel who choose to decline to directly provide abortions. In this regard, I am pleased to let you know that I am an official Seconder of Bill C-230 (An Act to amend the Criminal Code (intimidation of health care professionals) as I believe this is a critical balance in supporting abortion access. (Quite frankly, I do not know why a patient would want someone who was uncomfortable performing a procedure doing the surgery on them to begin with.) More information on this Bill is available at here.

Ultimately, the decision to seek an abortion is a deeply personal choice and each case is unique. I am confident none of these decisions are made lightly or easily.

Len Webber, MP
Calgary Confederation