A pro-life political party in Alberta says an NDP leadership candidate has given the UCP government a “golden opportunity” to address chemical abortions.
Alberta NDP leadership candidate Naheed Nenshi recently received an endorsement from Never Again Alberta, an pro-abortion activist group opposed to the online prescription and distribution of abortion pills. The former Calgary mayor also said there’s a need to be cautious with telemedicine and online prescriptions when it comes to “serious issues like abortion.”
Prolife Alberta, a registered political party, wondered why the party that supports abortion rights is advising caution with life-ending procedure, while there are “crickets” from Premier Danielle Smith and her government.
“When even Naheed Nenshi urges caution in the online distribution of abortion pills, you know it’s time for Danielle Smith’s UCP government to finally do something about it,” Prolife Alberta wrote in a Monday email to supporters.
“The good news is that NDP leadership candidates talking about unregulated abortion provides the UCP with a golden opportunity to actually address this life-and-death issue.”
Telemedicine abortion refers to the practice of prescribing of abortion pills over the phone or online without in-person examination.
“Pregnant individuals in areas lacking medical resources (think rural Canadians) face increased risks if complications arise from an at-home termination,” read the organization’s website. “Rural folks who live far away from a major city are often too far away from an ER to seek medical help when medical complications arise.”
The group also said the UCP government doesn’t seem to care about the safety risks.
“They seem to like the idea of private medicine, and people acting as their own doctor – alone in a bathroom.”
Health Minister Adriana LaGrange’s office did not respond to a request for comment.
Prolife Alberta recommended that the UCP government implement policies to ban chemical abortion prescriptions being given out online or over the phone, ensure parents are consulted when minors want an abortion, and make changes so elective, medically unnecessary abortions should not be publicly funded by taxpayers.
Alberta NDP supporters had until Monday to purchase a membership to vote in the leadership contest. Already, former contender and Alberta NDP MLA Rakhi Pancholi dropped out of the race and backed Nenshi, citing his membership sales.
The party plans to publicly update its membership list by May 12. As of December, it counted just over 16,000 members.
An Abacus poll from March found that Nenshi is by far the best known of the candidates. Of the respondents, 74% of Albertans had an impression of Nenshi, followed by party veteran and former cabinet minister Kathleen Ganley at 60%.
He was also the only candidate with clear net positive impressions.
Party supporters will select a new leader on June 22.