The recent leak of Draft opinion of the Supreme Court which states that the court’s intent to overturn Roe v. Wade has fueled outrage among abortion access advocates, with many wondering where they will be able to go if they need health care. On Tuesday, a Canadian official said his country will be open.
Karina Gould, Canada’s minister for families, children and social development, told CBC News Network, “I don’t see why we wouldn’t do it,” when asked if Americans would be allowed to have abortions in the country.
“If they, the people, come here and need access, certainly that is a service that would be provided,” she said, later adding: “Every year there are 25 million unsafe abortions. Criminalizing abortion doesn’t mean that there won’t be any. abortions. What it means is that they will be unsafe abortions.”
A spokesman for the minister told CBC News that Americans seeking abortions in the country would have to pay for the service out of pocket or with private insurance if they are not covered by Canadian programs.
While expressing concern for the Americans, Gould also noted that the overturning of Roe v. Wade would also affect the Canadians.
“One of the worrying factors here is that there are a lot of Canadian women who may not live near a major city in Canada, but often access these services in the United States,” she said.
several states All along the US-Canada border (Idaho, North Dakota, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Ohio) have laws on the books that could be used to restrict abortion rights should Roe be repealed.
Gould’s comments on abortion access were reiterated in a statement to the House of Commons on Tuesday.
“Abortion is a fundamental right,” he said. “…it has been a priority for our government to support the reproductive rights of women and girls around the world. We will continue to do so with more determination than ever.”
Although he did not make a statement on abortion access for Americans, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also condemned the leaked draft Tuesday.
“The right to choose is a woman’s right and only a woman’s,” she said. tweeted. “…We will never back down in protecting and promoting women’s rights in Canada and around the world.”
The draft court opinion that was originally published by Politico on Monday and later confirmed as authentic by Chief Justice John Roberts, indicates the court’s consideration of overturning Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 decision that allowed abortion rights in the US.
The draft opinion, written by Justice Samuel Alito, describes Roe as “grossly wrong from the start” with “exceptionally weak” reasoning.
“It is time to heed the Constitution and return the abortion issue to the elected representatives of the people,” Alito wrote.
In confirming the draft, Roberts said the draft does not represent the court’s final decision.
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