OTTAWA – Conservative MP Mark Warawa, who delivered a long-awaited statement in the House of Commons about female “gendercide” as thousands of pro-lifers rallied on Parliament Hill Thursday, says the abortion issue is not going away and will have to be dealt with by legislators.
“Any issue that’s important to Canadians needs to be discussed in Parliament,” Warawa said in an interview Friday.
“This Parliament does not want to deal with that issue but I’m expecting that a future Parliament will.”
Warawa made the comments the day after he delivered his member’s statement about gendercide, the systemic killing of females, including through abortion.
While he contends his statement has always been about the discrimination of women and girls, Warawa said many people who participated in the March for Life rally Thursday were against abortion.
“They were highlighting the fact that Canada and North Korea are the only countries in the world that have no (abortion) policies,” he said.
“For us to have a North Korean policy doesn’t seem at all reasonable.”
Warawa delivered his statement Thursday after originally being denied the right to speak about it by his own party.
Speaker Andrew Scheer recently ruled MPs can make statements in the House without being on their party’s speaking list – if he recognizes them – and Warawa exercised that right Thursday.
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Warawa said fellow MP Russ Hiebert allowed him to take his speaking spot, and Warawa also approached Scheer before question period to warn him he’d be attempting to speak. Scheer recognized him and Warawa gave his statement.
“I did approach the Speaker and let him know I was hoping to get recognized by him. And of course there is no guarantee, you just give him a head’s up,” said Warawa.
“I thank Russ Hiebert for (being) willing to give me that slot.”
Warawa said he won’t be attempting to speak off the list for some time.
“I can’t do this too often, otherwise I will get more than my fair share.”
He said he will continue to raise awareness about the issue of gendercide, as well as sex-selective abortion – a problem he said has contributed to the deaths of 200 million women and girls worldwide.
“Most people don’t realize that this was happening in Canada, and don’t realize how serious the problem is,” he said.
“I’m happy that public awareness is being achieved. And the job that I have in relation to gendercide, sex-selection, is probably what I’ll be working on for the rest of my life.”
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