If Roe v. Wade falls, American women can come to
Canada to get their abortions, Canada’s minister of families, children and
social development Karina Gould said. Gould’s comment comes after a US Supreme
Court draft opinion leaked to the press showed the court poised to overturn the
1973 judgement that made abortion a matter of a woman’s personal liberty.

Gould, in an interview with CBC News Network, was asked
if American women would be allowed to access the procedure in Canada. “I don’t
see why not,” she said. “If they, people, come here and need access, certainly,
you know, that’s a service that would be provided.”

The Supreme Court draft opinion, penned by republican-nominee
Justice Samuel Alito, states that the 1973 Roe decision was constitutionally
dubious and “egregiously wrong from the start” because its reasoning was “exceptionally
weak”.

Also Read | Roe v Wade: What is in the leaked SCOTUS opinion draft?

The draft opinion also triggered a response from
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau who said, “Every woman in Canada has a
right to a safe and legal abortion. We’ll never back down from protecting and
promoting women’s rights in Canada and the world.”

Conservative Canadians, however, have been mum on the
issue. Interim Conservative leader Candice Bergen told MPs and Senators that
Conservatives will not be commenting on draft rulings leaked from the Supreme
Court of the United States.

Also Read | Roe v Wade: Who were Roe and Wade and what happened to them?

Bergen is an anti-abortion MP and a social
conservative who served as minister of social development in the government run
by Prime Minister Stephen Harper (2006-2015). “Access to abortion was not
restricted under Prime Minister Stephen Harper and the Conservative Party will
not introduce legislation or reopen the abortion debate,” Bergen said.

Also Read | A new America: What happens if Roe v Wade falls

Canada’s response to the draft opinion is critical as
the country often serves as the go-to locale for women in Republican-led
states. If Roe v. Wade is overturned, it will trigger anti-abortion laws across
around two dozen states. Democrat-led states are expected to keep their laws
protecting abortion. Some Democrat-led states such as California are also
looking for ways to accommodate people coming in from other states.

Judy Chu, a Democrat US representative from
California, said the Texas ban on abortion has already caused women to move to
other states or across the border to Canada and Mexico to secure abortions.

“There is a definite uptick already. Can you imagine
if 26 states were banning abortion because of Roe v. Wade falling?” Chu said. “Yes,
there [would] definitely be women coming to Canada, Mexico and to other states
which are upholding abortion.”