Mike Schouten’s article in the National Post yesterday draws attention to the fact that we will likely be expanding abortion services across Canada, but without any democratic process.

Of course there is the argument that the RU486 is a nightmarish experience for women – an hours long drama of contractions ending with the expulsion of her developing “little one”, a translation of the Latin word “fetus”.

Canada’s anti-abortion activists are urging Health Canada to consider the detrimental effects RU-486 has had on women’s health in countries where it is already in use. According to Johanne Brownrigg of Campaign Life Coalition, “In 2011, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration reported 2,200 adverse effects, including 14 U.S. deaths, 58 ectopic pregnancies, 256 infections, and 339 incidents requiring transfusions.

But then there is the abysmal double standard of a government who won’t open the debate on abortion, but it will widen the services dramatically, without public consultation.

The Conservative government, along with all the political parties in Ottawa, have denounced any attempt to debate abortion in the House of Commons. This was most recently manifested by the harsh opposition to even discussing something as benign as Motion 408, which merely sought to condemn gender-selective abortions. The news that the approval of RU-486 is imminent, with no debate, smacks of hypocrisy.

For now, the application and any decisions surrounding the infamous abortion drug have been put on hold till the Fall.

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