In the most recently available statistics--2006 are the statistics I have--Canada provided access or funded abortion services 91,377 times in this country. Presumably the government chooses to continue this funding, this access to abortion, because it believes in a woman's right to choose and that by providing and funding these services to women there are positive impacts on maternal health.
I applaud them for accepting this and for not reopening the domestic debate at this time. But what about the government's position internationally? There's a bit of a disconnect here. I have to wonder what kind of signal you think it sends to women in developing countries when our government claims to want to help them, but then refuses to provide the same services to them, which are proven to reduce maternal mortality. They're the same services as our own citizens get.
Now, you said that CIDA never has had a policy on funding or promoting or increasing access to safe abortion services in developing countries. Am I right in that?
This was from the conversation earlier with Mr. Rae.