OTTAWA — If you thought the abortion debate was over in Canada — think again.
On Thursday, MPs will get a chance to debate pro-life backbench Conservative MP Stephen Woodworth's private member's motion calling on Parliament to examine whether a fetus is in fact a human being.
"The abortion debate has actually never been closed," Woodworth said Wednesday after a caucus meeting.
"My motion is designed specifically to look at the question of how we decide what is a human being and who we decide is a human being. That debate has been left hanging by almost every court that has adjudicated on the subject."
A vote on his motion is expected in June or September. If it passes, it will be up to a Commons committee to hear from experts on the definition of a human being.
While he's had a few "private" conversations with other MPs, including some Liberals, he could not gauge exactly how much support he might get.
Fellow Conservative Brad Trost emerged from the same caucus meeting, noting he's always been open about his pro-life views and that he'd vote for anything that supports them "in any way, shape or form."
While Prime Minister Stephen Harper has said he would not reopen the ever-polarizing discussion, critics have argued that allowing it to proceed as a private member's issue is little more than a back-way into the debate for Tories.
"This is their backdoor way of signalling to their base that this is what they would actually like to do but they just can't do it," said NDP leader Thomas Mulcair, adding Harper has always had a rather firm grip on his caucus.
"If he didn't want it to be discussed, it wouldn't be there."
Mulcair said he doesn't need to whip the vote since his caucus is unanimous in terms of its opposition.
Interim Liberal leader Bob Rae said this vote would be open as are all private member's votes. He has no idea whether any caucus members will support the motion, but said his position and that of the Liberal party has always been clear: it's an issue of "moral conscience" and therefore it's up to a woman to choose.
On Wednesday, the pending debate drew a huge crowd of pro-choice supporters to Parliament Hill where a handful of anti-abortionists regularly picket.
Toting banners with slogans like "reproductive justice now" and "if you can't trust me with a choice, how can you trust me with a child," the pro-choice group vowed to fight back against what they see as an attack on reproductive rights.
tcohen@postmedia.com
Twitter.com/tobicohen
With files from Mike De Souza
