The Minister responsible for the Status of Women, Isabelle Charest, is acknowledging that three CAQ MNAs donated money to anti-abortion centres, but she said it was an honest mistake.
Questioned by the Liberal MNA for Verdun, Isabelle Melançon, Charest had to stand up twice in the House to reiterate that the Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) was "absolutely pro-choice."
Charest did not deny that at least one CAQ minister and two CAQ MNAs have funded anti-abortion centres, as Melançon claimed, citing Urbania magazine on Thursday.
The article in question claimed that the anti-abortion movement can act in an insidious way and that it does not display itself with banners everywhere. It can present itself in deceptive ways.
Melançon asked her CAQ counterpart to reassure Quebec women that the entire CAQ party was pro-choice.
“Without a doubt, our government respects in every way the choice of women to have control over their bodies... We are resolutely pro-choice," Charest said.
“Now, well, there have been payments, good-faith contributions, that have gone to organizations that they thought were helping women. It won't happen again," she added.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Feb. 10, 2022
