Abortion, MAID, CBC: Here’s what Conservatives are debating at Calgary convention

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre speaks to delegates at the Conservative party convention on Friday, Sept. 8, 2023, in Quebec City. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jacques Boissinot

CALGARY — Hundreds of party delegates from across the country have assembled in Calgary for the federal Conservative party’s national convention.

Leader Pierre Poilievre will face a vote on his leadership Friday. Delegates are also set to debate a number of proposals that could inform the party’s future policies.

The policy proposals are not binding on Poilievre and his caucus.

Here’s a look at some of the policy areas up for debate.

1. Medical assistance in dying

One proposal set to be debated states that people “must have the freedom to choose MAID-free spaces” — but notes that isn’t possible if institutions don’t have the right to choose not to provide medical assistance in dying.

It restates existing party policy that calls for a change to the Canada Health Act to recognize palliative care “as a separate and distinct right for all Canadians” and for government to create a palliative care strategy. It defines palliative care as excluding euthanasia and MAID.

A separate proposal seeks to strike that definition from the party’s health policies. The proposal states that doing so “reflects the philosophy of the Conservative party that freedom should not be unnecessarily restricted by government. Euthanasia directed by a person of sound mind is a personal choice which should be respected.”

2. Abortion

One proposal before the convention calls on the party to abandon its long-standing policy that “a Conservative government will not support any legislation to regulate abortion.”

The proposal argues the current policy “alienates” pro-life voters and is inconsistent with other Tory policies, including one that allows for free votes on abortion.

Another proposal calls for the party to declare its support for life-affirming care and post-abortion support that would extend “practical supports” for women who continue their pregnancies, including grants, child care and housing.

3. Immigration

Delegates will debate a proposal that calls for the Conservatives to make legislative reforms to the immigration system that would close “loopholes that allow exploitation of Canada’s immigration and asylum systems.”

A second policy calls for the party to “pursue immediate deportation as the primary option for all non-citizens in Canada who are convicted of an indictable offence.” That policy would include a “default permanent ban on re-entry with options of asset forfeiture.”

It argues that non-citizens are sometimes allowed to “occupy expensive space in our prison system” before facing deportation, and notes that some people are not deported on humanitarian grounds. Canada does not allow deportation to some countries that are considered unsafe due to ongoing conflict or humanitarian crises.

Another proposal calls for the termination of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program and the International Mobility Program, which allows employers to hire temporary foreign workers without a Labour Market Impact Assessment.

It states that the Conservative party “believes Canadian jobs should be for Canadian workers” and calls for some limited programs to deal with temporary and genuine shortages in areas like agriculture. It also says those seasonal workers should have the same employment protections as Canadian workers.

4. The Jordan Peterson rule

This policy proposal is named for the controversial media personality and psychologist whose legal battle with the professional body that oversees psychologists in Ontario was appealed to the country’s top court.

The College of Psychologists of Ontario investigated Peterson’s conduct in 2022 after complaints about his social media posts and public appearances, and directed him to undertake professional coaching. Peterson asked for a judicial review of the decision and, when that was denied, appealed the case to the Supreme Court of Canada. He lost.

The proposed policy change states that Conservatives believe in freedom of speech and “that no person should have their professional accreditation revoked solely for voicing their opinion or refusing compelled speech.”

It argues the licensing bodies for regulated professions have been weaponized to regulate their members’ speech.

5. CBC

Poilievre has long said he wants to “defund the CBC” while maintaining Radio-Canada’s French-language programming — though it’s not clear exactly how he intends to do that.

A policy proposal up for debate at this weekend’s convention states that Conservatives acknowledge “the vital role that news and media plays in Canada” and calls for a new framework to minimize government intervention and regulation in the media market.

It states the party “believes the control and operations of the CBC/SRC as an entity should be accomplished through independent, non-government funding.”

“The CBC/SRC, once intended to promote Canadian content, now receives over $1.2 billion annually while promoting increasingly politicized agendas. In an era of digital platforms and independent journalism, taxpayer-funded broadcasting is no longer justified,” the proposal states.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 30, 2026.

Sarah Ritchie, The Canadian Press