MLAs from the United Conservative Party did not participate in a debate on the abortion clinic “bubble zone” bill when it came up for debate for the first time Thursday morning.
Eight UCP MLAs were in the legislature but they didn’t speak and appeared to be busy looking at their phones or computers while other MLAs talked about the bill, which proposes a 50-metre protester-free zone around the stand-alone abortion clinics in Edmonton and Calgary.
They left the house when MLAs voted on an amendment proposed by Independent MLA Derek Fildebrandt to have the bill rewritten to cover all types of protests.
Infrastructure Minister Sandra Jansen took a thinly veiled dig against UCP Leader Jason Kenney while slamming his caucus for not engaging.
“This is not about free speech,” Jansen told the legislature.
“This is about a woman exercising her legal, hard-fought right to her reproductive choices without being bullied by a far-right conservative group who feels emboldened in this province because they have leadership that has told them that they are making headway on this.”
Angela Pitt, the MLA for Airdrie, has so far been the only member of the UCP caucus to speak to the bill in the legislature.
When the law was introduced last month, PItt indicated the caucus would not vote or participate in debate.
Kenney said the governing NDP is using the bill to distract from its economic record.
He said he thinks the bill is not required as the clinics already have injunctions to keep protesters away. Staff at the clinics can return to court if they need to make the zones larger, he said.
Staff at Women’s Health Options in Edmonton and Calgary’s Kensington Clinic say the injunctions provide for no penalties for protesters who keep coming back.
The bill is now in second reading, and Thursday marked the first time it was debated.
In addition to members of the NDP caucus, Alberta Party MLAs Rick Fraser and Greg Clark as well as Liberal MLA David Swann spoke in favour of the bill.
Fildebrandt’s amendment was defeated 1 to 41. MLAs are scheduled to resume debate on the bill Thursday afternoon.