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A vote defeating an abortion bill from a Conservative MP reignited Liberal government attacks against the partys leader for seeming out of touch by failing to put a lid on the debate.

Saskatchewan MP Cathay Wagantall brought forward Bill C-233, which sought to ban doctors from performing an abortion based on the sex of a fetus, which was defeated in a 248-82 vote Wednesday afternoon.

Wagantall argued her private members bill was more nuanced than other debates surrounding abortion because it only looks at the issue of terminating a pregnancy through sex selection, which she and supporters including some fellow Conservative MPs worry disproportionately affects baby girls.

While MPs, including Liberals, said they didnt support sex-selective abortion, they blasted the bill in previous debates as a Trojan horse attempting to restrict the reproductive rights of women, also questioning the sources of information presented in support of the bills cause.

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Hours before Wednesdays vote, Status of Women Minister Maryam Monsef released a letter she penned to OToole asking the leader to call on his caucus to vote against what she calls a dangerous bill.

This is in fact the seventh time since 2007 that a Conservative Member of Parliament has worked hard to limit womens choices, she said at a news conference.

OToole has said he personally wont support the proposed legislation as he is pro-choice. His office said he will allow a free votes on matters of conscience for his caucus.

In a statement Wednesday, he said: I support a womans right to choose and my record speaks for itself. As prime minister, my government will secure the rights of Canadians and never erode them.

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Melanie Joly, the economic development and official languages minister, appeared alongside Monsef at the news conference and said OTooles stance isnt good enough.

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It is not enough for you to personally say that you will not vote in favour of C-233 and free vote is also not good enough, said Joly.

For our rights to be safe, we need to to curb all policies that attempt to control womans bodies.

Joly suggested OToole allowed the bill, first introduced under the leadership of MP Andrew Scheer, to be kept alive in Parliament because he earned his partys victory last summer thanks to votes from anti-abortion groups.

During the race, OToole made a pitch to the supporters of MP Derek Sloan and Toronto lawyer Leslyn Lewis, who had the backing from many social conservatives, to mark him as their number 2 or number 3 choice in the ranked ballot system.

In turn, he promised that as leader, their views would be respected.

Keeping that pledge without exposing the party to attacks from Liberals and other critics that it would allow for the debate on abortion rights to be reopened remains a balancing act for OToole.

Since becoming leader, he has focused his attention on speaking to those he wants to see vote Conservative in the next federal election who perhaps havent done so in the past, like more women, and emphasizing his views as pro-LGBTQ rights and pro-choice.

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During the 2019 election campaign, Scheers socially conservative views on abortion and same-sex marriage dogged him in the lead up to the vote, as he wouldnt immediately clarify his views.

2021 The Canadian Press

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Conservative MPs abortion bill defeated 248-82 as Liberals blast OToole over free vote - Global News