Paul Tuns:
On June 17, Conservative MP Cathay Wagantall (Yorkton-Melville) announced she was stepping down as MP effective in August and later that day gave her last speech in the House of Commons in which she noted Canada had no abortion law and highlighted her own pro-life work.
Wagantall began by praising her husband, Marty, and her staff, Conservative colleagues and party leader, Pierre Poilievre. She highlighted her work on Veterans issues before turning to issues of violence against women and abortion.
Wagantall, who was first elected in 2015, noted her first private member’s bill was Bill C-225, Cassie and Molly’s Law, in 2016. Named after the victim of violence and her unborn child, if passed, C-225 would have made it a crime to harm or kill an unborn child while assaulting the pregnant mother. It was defeated when the Liberals, NDP, and Bloc Quebecois voted en masse against it.
Wagantall would propose two more private member’s bills supported by the pro-life movement, one outlawing sex-selective abortion and another making attacking a woman knowing she is pregnant, causing physical or mental harm, an aggravating factor in the crime. She talked about the experience of promoting those bills both within the public and the legislature. Both bills were defeated.
Of the bills concerning pregnant women as victims of violence, Wagantall said they had nothing to do with abortion. “It is for the protection of women when they are having their children,” she said. “If we are truly concerned about feminism and women being attacked, on that side of the floor and on this side of the floor, it is something we could have all agreed on, but we do not.”
Wagantall decried how the Liberals weaponize the abortion issue against the Conservatives and noted that the Tories are the only party in Parliament that permits pro-life members to express and vote on their convictions.
She said it was “tough” talking about the issue “on the day that I am leaving,” but added the House of Commons “needs to represent Canadians and Canadians’ views,” including on abortion.
The retiring MP decried the lack of law restricting abortion. “We have no laws,” said Wagantall. “We are the only democratic country in the world that has nothing,” noting that we are like North Korea in that regard. “This is appalling.”
Campaign Life Coalition tweeted their appreciation of Wagantall’s service, saying “We thank (Wagantall) for years of faithful service and for introducing multiple pro-life bills that demonstrated her unwavering commitment to protecting preborn children.” CLC said they “expresse(d) sincere gratitude to MP Wagantall for her courage, perseverance, and dedication to defending the preborn despite fierce opposition.”
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