abortion.
Have we gone too far?
Thirty Years of Surveys show Canadians Oppose Unrestricted Abortion
Canada’s abortion law was struck down by the Supreme Court in 1988. Since then, there has been no law or restriction against abortion in Canada. Abortions can be performed at any time during pregnancy and for any reason. Annual polls conducted by Leger Marketing and Environics from 2002 to present have consistently shown that Canadians do not support the status quo. Commissioned by LifeCanada, the polls have found that only three in ten Canadians support the current policy in which there is no legal protection for human beings at any stage of development before birth.
Gallup Polls conducted from 1975 to 2000 show similar results, with nearly two-thirds of Canadians indicating they would support some restrictions on abortion. A 1999 Gallup poll showed that 51% of Canadians believed abortion should only be legal in certain circumstances, while an additional 9% would make abortions illegal in all circumstances. Only 37% of Canadians believed abortion should be legal in all circumstances. The Gallup polls were not commissioned by LifeCanada and were not associated with any other pro-life organization.
Polls revealed that the majority of Canadians:
- support laws to protect human life before birth,
- support informed consent laws which would require that women be informed about fetal development and all health risks and complications before they choose to have an abortion,
- support a law requiring parental consent for minors under the age of 18 to have an abortion,
- believe abortions should either be funded privately or only funded in medical emergencies,
- support a law that would make it a separate crime to kill or injure an unborn baby during an attack on the mother.
A total of almost two-thirds of Canadians think human life should be legally protected some time prior to the point of birth, including three in ten who think it should be protected from conception onwards.
Question: In your opinion, at what point in human development should the law protect human life? Should it be…?
2002-2007
|
2002 |
2003 |
2004 |
2005 |
2006 |
2007 |
|
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
From conception on |
37 |
31 |
33 |
30 |
31 |
30 |
After three months of pregnancy |
13 |
21 |
24 |
19 |
23 |
21 |
After six months of pregnancy |
6 |
11 |
11 |
11 |
10 |
11 |
From the point of birth |
30 |
28 |
28 |
33 |
30 |
33 |
DK/NA |
14 |
9 |
4 |
7 |
6 |
5 |
Seven in ten Canadians support “informed consent” laws in Canada similar to those in the United States for women considering abortion.
Question: Some states in the U.S. have “informed consent” laws concerning abortion. These laws require that, before a woman has an abortion procedure, her physician must provide her with certain information such as details on the stages of fetal development including an ultrasound scan, the possible complications and side effects following an abortion, and alternatives to abortion. Do you support or oppose similar laws in Canada for women considering abortion?
October 2003-2007
|
2003* |
2004 |
2005 |
2006 |
2007 |
|
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
Yes, support |
69 |
73 |
70 |
71 |
67 |
No, oppose |
24 |
25 |
27 |
26 |
29 |
DK/NA |
7 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
5 |
More than five in ten Canadians are supportive of a law that requires those under the age of 18 to get parental consent in order to get an abortion.
Question: At present in Canada it is legal for minors under the age of 18 to have an abortion without the consent of their parents. Do you support or oppose a law that requires minors under the age of 18 to have their parents’ consent in order to have an abortion?
October 2004-2007
|
2004 |
2005 |
2006 |
2007 |
|
% |
% |
% |
% |
Yes, support |
55 |
56 |
55 |
54 |
No, oppose |
42 |
41 |
42 |
43 |
DK/NA |
3 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
One-half of Canadians think abortions should be financed using tax dollars, but only in emergency situations, such as a threat to the mother’s life or in cases of rape or incest.
Question: When it comes to the funding of abortions, which of the following three opinions is closest to your own?
October 2002-2007
|
2002* |
2003* |
2004 |
2005 |
2006 |
2007 |
|
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
Abortions should always be paid using the tax-funded health care system |
23 |
25 |
26 |
29 |
31 |
32 |
Abortions should be financed using tax dollars but only in medical emergencies, such as a threat to the mother’s life or in cases of rape or incest |
51 |
53 |
54 |
50 |
48 |
47 |
Paying for abortions should be a private responsibility, either out-of-pocket or using Blue Cross or other private health care plans |
15 |
15 |
18 |
18 |
18 |
17 |
DK/NA |
11 |
7 |
2 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
Seven in ten Canadians support legislation making it a separate crime to injure or kill a foetus during an attack on the mother
Question: In the past two years there have been three cases in Canada where pregnant women have been murdered. Currently in Canada, the Criminal Code does not recognize a foetus as a human being, so someone who injures or kills an unborn child during an attack on the mother cannot be charged with two crimes. Would you support or oppose legislation making it a separate crime to injure or kill a foetus during an attack on the mother?
|
2007 |
|
% |
Yes, support |
72 |
No, oppose |
22 |
Depends |
3 |
DK/NA |
3 |
The tables and full report which include results pertaining to regional and socio-demographic subgroups can be viewed on the LifeCanada website at: www.lifecanada.org.