Canadian Abortion Policy: National Policy and the Impact of Federalism and Political Implementation on Access to Services

The Canada Health Act requires provinces and territories to provide medically necessary services and to provide equal access to such services. Since 1995, the governing Liberal Party has issued statements indicating that it views abortion services as medically necessary services. Yet the operation of health delivery systems in Canada is primarily reserved for the provinces and territories. Provincial and territorial access to abortion services is significantly affected by bottom-up political implementation, where national policy is often undermined and “trumped” by the politics and pressures operative within provincial and territorial political systems and by other intense interest group pressures.