2011 Canadian Federal Election Questionnaire pdf

2011 Canadian Federal Election Questionnaire

Submitted to:

The Conservative Party of Canada (CPC)
The Liberal Party of Canada (LPC)
The New Democratic Party of Canada (NDP)
Le Bloc Québécois (BQ)
The Green Party of Canada (GPC)




Submitted collaboratively by:

• Action Canada for Population and Development (ACPD)
• The Canadian Federation for Sexual Health (CFSH)
This Election 2011 questionnaire has been developed collaboratively by ACPD and CFSH

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Election 2011: A questionnaire for the five main Canadian political parties

A. The Muskoka Initiative on Maternal, Newborn and Child Health ____________________

In September 2010, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Ban Ki Moon, launched the
Global Strategy for Women’s and Children’s Health at the end of a global summit on the
Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The global strategy specifically calls for “a
comprehensive, integrated package of essential interventions and services […] including family-

planning […and] safe abortion services” when addressing women’s and children’s health.
Access to family planning will improve the empowerment of women and girls and will reduce
maternal mortality, HIV/AIDS transmission, infant mortality and adolescent pregnancy.
Satisfying the unmet need for contraception in developing countries would prevent 52 million
unintended pregnancies annually, which, in turn, would avert more than 1.5 million maternal and
child deaths.

Furthermore, according to a World Health Organization (WHO) expert opinion obtained by
ACPD in the 2010 G8 lead-up: “the use of effective contraception reduces but does not eliminate
unwanted pregnancy and the demand for induced abortion. Women suffering contraceptive
failure require access to safe abortion services, if they cannot access safe services, they are likely
to seek unsafe services.”

The government’s position excluding the funding of safe abortion services from the Muskoka
Initiative is at odds with what both the Secretary-General and the WHO suggest is needed. Access
to safe abortion, when and where legal, is a critical piece of women’s healthcare.

Q. What will your party do to ensure that funds committed under the Muskoka Initiative are
used for a full range of sexual and reproductive health services and supplies, including those
related to family planning and access to safe abortion services where legal?

B. Official Development Assistance (ODA)__________________________________________


In March 2010 Finance Minister Jim Flaherty announced that there will be a freeze of up to four
years on the International Assistance Envelope at $5 billion. The next federal budget provides an
excellent opportunity to announce a long term plan for the future growth of Canadian aid to
achieve the UN target of 0.7% of Gross National Income (GNI) by 2015.

With an expected freeze on Canadian aid, it is expected that ODA for 2011/12 will be

approximately $5.4 billion or 0.32% of Canadian GNI, down from 0.33% in 2010/11. By 2014
the performance ratio is expected to be 0.28%, among the lowest of 22 official donors.

Q. What steps will your party take to ensure that Canada meets its commitments to deliver ODA
at a level of 0.7% of its GNI by 2015, a goal endorsed in June 2005 by all four political parties
in the Canadian Parliament?

C. Aboriginal Women and their Sexual and Reproductive Health_______________________


In comparison to the Canadian population, Aboriginal people face both lower quality of health
and lower quality of health care. Aboriginal women, in particular, are at an even greater
disadvantage. The consequences of receiving a lower standard of health care are many and the
situation is becoming more and more complex with each new generation. A review of the social
determinants that influence the provision of health services to Aboriginal women, as well as the
This Election 2011 questionnaire has been developed collaboratively by ACPD and CFSH

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creation of culturally sensitive programs focused on Aboriginal sexual and reproductive health,
are necessary in order to restore balance and build healthy communities.

Q. Is your party prepared to consult with Aboriginal women, elders, traditional healers,
midwives and youth regardless of residency, in order to develop and implement a plan that
would ensure that sexual and reproductive health programs, services and research are
available for all aboriginal persons?

D. Domestic Implementation of Canada’s International Human Rights Obligations________


Since at least 2001, United Nations human rights bodies, Parliamentary Committees and many

organizations in Canada have repeatedly criticized the Canadian government for its failures in
adequate domestic implementation of Canada’s international human rights obligations and
commitments. At the core of this problem is the lack of effective, transparent and inclusive
mechanisms and processes in Canada for implementing and following up the recommendations of
UN human rights bodies and for reporting to these bodies; this lack has been regularly criticized.
During a 2009 UN review of Canada’s human rights record, Canada accepted a number of
recommendations to develop a more “effective, transparent and accountable” mechanism for
implementation of international human rights obligations but has yet done very little to act upon
this.

Q. What would your party do to fulfill this commitment that Canada has made to reform the
currently inadequate and flawed domestic procedures relating to follow-up and implementation
of its international human rights obligations?

E. Rights of Sex Workers in Canada_______________________________________________


While the actual exchange of sexual services for money between consenting adults in Canada is
legal, a number of provisions of the Criminal Code make illegal many activities related to sex
work and make sex workers more vulnerable to violence and potential exposure to HIV. Three
specific provisions make it illegal to keep a “bawdy house” (s. 210), to live on the avails of
prostitution (s. 212(1)(j)), and to communicate in public for the purposes of prostitution (s.
213(1)(c)). In a September 2010 decision (Bedford v. Attorney General of Canada), Ontario
Superior Court Justice Himel ruled these three provisions unconstitutional as they violate the
rights of sex workers as guaranteed under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms
contributing to their increased risk of being subjected to violence and making it less likely for sex
workers to report experiences of violence to the police. In striking down these three provisions,
Justice Himel wrote: “I have found that the law as it stands is currently contributing to danger
faced by prostitutes” (at para. 536). Sex workers’ organizations and others have long criticized
these laws as adding to the discrimination and stigma sex workers face leading to increased risk

of their experiencing violence and other threats to their health and safety. The Ontario Superior
Court judgment is currently under appeal.

Q. Would your party support dropping the government's appeal of the Ontario Superior Court
decision and, in line with Justice Himel’s findings, move to fully repeal the unconstitutional
criminal provisions found to violate the rights of sex workers?

What further steps would your party take to end violence against sex workers and to ensure
that sex workers can access police protection and health services without discrimination or
stigma?

This Election 2011 questionnaire has been developed collaboratively by ACPD and CFSH

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How would you ensure that the government consults meaningfully with sex workers in making
legislative or policy decisions that specifically affect their rights?

F. Accessibility: Abortion in Canada_______________________________________________


Abortion has been without criminal restrictions under Canadian law since 1988, yet only 15% of
Canadian hospitals provide abortion services. According to section 3 of the Canada Health Act
the primary objective of Canadian health care policy is to “protect, promote and restore the
physical and mental well-being of residents of Canada and to facilitate reasonable access to health
services without financial or other barriers.” It is currently impossible for women to obtain an
abortion in Prince Edward Island, and the provincial governments of New Brunswick and PEI
refuse to fund abortions provided in private clinics. This directly contravenes the accessibility
provisions of the Canada Health Act. Despite financial penalties and warnings from previous
governments, nothing has been done by the government to enforce the Canada Health Act.

Q. What will your party do to ensure that all Canadian women have access to abortion services
without financial or other barriers, in conformance with the Canada Health Act?

G. Health Resources and Information______________________________________________


Accessibility includes more than just access to services; it also includes life-long access to sexual
and reproductive health resources and information. Sexually transmitted infections (STIs)
continue to be a significant and increasing public health concern. Over the past decade, rates of
Chlamydia, gonorrhea, and infectious syphilis have steadily increased. Although we often think
that only youth and younger adults are at risk of acquiring an STI, it is important to remember
that all Canadians, regardless of age, are at risk. In 2008, the Public Health Agency of Canada
released an updated edition of the Canadian Guidelines for Sexual Health to help professionals
working in the area of sexual health education to develop evidence-based comprehensive
education policies and programs. It is important to note that education means not only school-
based programs, but includes all programs aimed at providing individuals of all ages with age-
appropriate access to evidence-based sexual and reproductive health resources and information.

Q. What will your party do to ensure that all Canadians have access to age-appropriate
comprehensive evidence-based sexual and reproductive health resources and information?

How will your party use the government-issued Guidelines to ensure access to sexual health
education and services for all Canadians?

This Election 2011 questionnaire has been developed collaboratively by ACPD and CFSH

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Collaborating Organizations______________________________________________________

Action Canada for Population and Development -
www.acpd.ca

Action Canada for Population and Development (ACPD)’s goal is to advance action by the
Canadian government to meet the commitments that it made at the International Conference on
Population and Development (ICPD) held in Cairo in 1994, and, in particular, to meet the
financial targets and policy commitments made in Cairo.

Formed in 1997, ACPD is an advocacy organization that focuses on:
• sexual rights and health,
• reproductive rights and health
• the right to health and related human rights,
• the integration of sexual health and rights, and reproductive health and rights, and
HIV/AIDS.

ACPD reinforces women's human rights as a core value in its work.



Canadian Federation for Sexual Health (CFSH)
Formerly Planned Parenthood Federation of Canada -

www.cfsh.ca

The Canadian Federation for Sexual Health is a national network dedicated to supporting access
to comprehensive sexual health education, information and services in every community.
Thirty-four independent member organizations in more than 60 communities across Canada
provide clinical services, education, and counselling to over 310,000 Canadians every year; the
majority of these clients are under 30 years of age and most of them are women. CFSH works in
partnership with all levels of government, academic institutions, and other non-profit, non-
governmental organizations.


This Election 2011 questionnaire has been developed collaboratively by ACPD and CFSH

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