Fast-track on abortion buffer-zone bill rejected

Liberals will not immediately ban protests outside clinics

The Liberal government has rejected an immediate ban on protests outside abortion clinics — one day after saying such a measure was needed to protect women from being harassed and intimidated.

In an unexpected move Thursday, Progressive Conservative MPP Lisa MacLeod requested the unanimous consent of MPPs from all parties to pass the Liberal bill on the spot.

But the Liberals refused MacLeod’s motion to have its own legislation approved right away, as has happened with other laws that have overwhelming support in the House.

“It’s wedge politics,” MacLeod (Nepean-Carleton) said to reporters after her bid failed. “If they really wanted to put women’s safety first . . . then they would have done this when issues started arising over a year ago, or they would have accepted my unanimous consent request.”

NDP MPP Jennifer French (Oshawa) told the Star she “can’t imagine why anyone would be having a conversation about delay.”

“The debate part and the waiting is garbage . . . to delay for the sake of wedging the Tories or playing politics, that is disappointing and it is not what . . . Ontario women deserve.”

But the minister of the status of women — who stood alongside Attorney General Yasir Naqvi just a day prior at their announcement on the importance of creating safe zones, given a rise in anti-abortion activities — said the bill needs to go through the “democratic process.”

“It’s a sensitive issue for many Ontarians, and we want to ensure all those voices have a place at the table and say what they want to say, and do this properly,” Indira Naidoo-Harris said.

Anti-abortion group Campaign Life Coalition said it opposes the proposed law, calling it a “direct attack on (protesters) freedom of speech, expression and assembly.” With files from Rob Ferguson