Americans Can Come To Canada To Get An Abortion If They Need Access, MP Says
The minister said the federal government is "committed to upholding" the right to abortion services.
A Canadian politician has said that access to abortion services will be available in Canada for Americans if Roe v. Wade gets overturned in the U.S.
After a draft opinion by the U.S. Supreme Court was leaked to and published by Politico that suggested the court could overturn Roe v. Wade, an MP was asked if the federal government will ensure Americans can come to Canada for an abortion.
"I don't see why we would not. If they, people, come here and need access, certainly, you know, that's a service that would be provided," said Karina Gould, the minister of families, children and social development, in an interview with CBC News.
A federal government official told Narcity that "Americans accessing health care services in Canada, including abortion services, would continue to have to pay for the service out-of-pocket or by their own private insurance."
That payment is needed if Americans aren't covered by provincial health insurance, the Interim Federal Health Program or the Non-Insured Health Benefits.
The MP also noted that there are concerns about the potential of Roe v. Wade being overturned and the impact it could have on Canadians.
"One of the concerning factors here is that there are many Canadian women who maybe don't live near a major city in Canada but will often access these services in the United States," Gould said.
"I'm very concerned about the leak," she continued. "I'm very concerned about what this means, particularly for American women, but also for Canadian women."
Gould mentioned that the federal government is "committed to upholding" the right to abortion and sexual and reproductive health services in Canada.
"What we're seeing in the United States, we cannot assume that will not happen in Canada because we're already seeing some of that very activity," she said, citing people getting harassed outside abortion clinics.
After the leak, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau tweeted, "The right to choose is a woman's right and a woman's right alone."
NDP leader Jagmeet Singh said Roe v. Wade potentially being overturned is "deeply concerning" and that the right to legal abortion is "dangerously threatened."