Former Liberal prime minister Paul Martin.Harrison Smith
Paul Martin is adding his voice to demands that safe access to abortion be included in the Harper government's signature G8 maternal health initiative.
"Regardless of what your position is on abortion you've got to understand that in a huge number of these cases … the mother's health is at risk," said the former Prime Minister. For that reason, he says, women in developing countries must have access to the procedure in a safe, clean hospital setting.
And the former Liberal Prime Minister goes even farther. He says the issue must also be raised at the G20 summit, which is following the G8 gathering.
"The G8 has got a limited life," said Mr. Martin an in interview with the online publication, The Mark. The interview, which was released Wednesday, was conducted at the Fairmont Royal York Hotel in late April.
Mr. Martin predicted the G8 may only be around for several more years.
"I don't think there is any doubt that over time that as the G20 continues to mature that that's where the action is going to be," said Mr. Martin, who was one of the main creators of the G20.
And he says whatever commitments are made at the G8 they must carry over to the G20 as this is a multi-year initiative.
"They have to raise it at the G20. It has to be an issue at the G20. It has to be part of the final communiqué …"
He and the Prime Minister, meanwhile, knocked heads over the issue of abortion in the 2006 election campaign, with Mr. Martin charging that a Harper Conservative government would put abortion rights in "jeopardy."
Not surprising that this issue has also proven to be highly controversial as the Prime Minister has refused to include safe access to abortion as part of the discussions. This, although U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and others have said that abortion needs to be part of it.
Mr. Harper and his ministers have said they do not want to reopen the abortion debate in Canada.