COLUMN: Viewpoint – Will women’s rights be protected?

The latest Probe Research Poll shows overwhelming support for the federal Conservative Party here in Manitoba even though we have a very popular NDP provincial government. If an election were held today Pierre Poilievre and his team would garner votes from the majority of Manitoba voters. Interestingly when you look at how that support is divided between men and women the Conservatives are much more popular with men. Why might that be?

I know the current $10 a day childcare program is important to working parents. Three couples with preschoolers were at an extended family Christmas gathering we hosted. Talking with them I realized how additional daycare spaces and lower fees have made their work life balance much more manageable. I think there is a suspicion the Conservatives might curtail the relatively new childcare initiative. When Stephen Harper was elected in 2005 he axed the Liberal’s childcare plan. Are women worried that might happen again?

Although the Conservatives have assured us they will not tamper with a woman’s right to choose an abortion I think there may be some who are nervous about the veracity of that claim. Conservative members of the current House of Commons have attended anti-abortion rallies. Some pro-choice groups claim up to 70 percent of the Conservative members of Parliament have expressed anti-abortion sentiments at one time or another.

In December Pierre Poilievre gave a lengthy podcast interview to Jordan Peterson. We know that podcast was sponsored by PreBorn, an Indiana-based Christian anti-abortion group. During the interview Mr. Poilievre indicated that Leslyn Lewis, might garner an important portfolio in his government. When she ran for the leadership of the Conservative party she described herself as pro-life and was endorsed by anti-abortion advocacy groups. Might some women be concerned about the Conservative’s position on abortion?

We also know that in May of 2024 Pierre Poilievre’s Conservatives voted against giving free birth control to 9 million Canadians. This may not be an issue that effects Manitoba women as much since we have a provincial program that supplies women with free birth control. But the fact the federal Conservatives didn’t support the move may have some women thinking the party isn’t as concerned about female health issues as they would like it to be.

Studies show that as a rule women are more concerned about climate change than men. One of the Liberal initiatives to deal with climate change has been the introduction of a carbon tax. Axing that tax is a key platform of Pierre Poilievre’s. He talks about it all the time. But we have heard very little about what his alternative approach will be for tackling climate change. Does he have one? Perhaps his lack of a concrete plan for saving the environment is troubling to women.

The Liberals currently have 57 women in parliament. That’s 36 percent of their caucus. The Conservatives have only 22 women in parliament. That’s 19 percent of their caucus. In a country where 50 percent of citizens are women the Liberals come closer to equal representation than the Conservatives. The fact that women don’t play as big a role in their party might be losing the Conservatives support with some female voters.

With their huge lead in the polls I suspect the Conservative Party may not be too worried right now if Manitoba women aren’t as enthusiastic about their policies and plans as the male population. But if they wish to sustain and grow their popularity, it might be wise for them to look at the issues that could be preventing women from voting for their party and respond to those concerns.