The petition to defund abortion is being sponsored by the Kitchener-Conestoga MP, Harold Albrecht

The petition, that originally started in British Columbia, has been recently endorsed by Kitchener-Conestoga MP Harold Albrecht.

The goal of the petition, which currently has nearly 1500 signatures, is to have the House of Commons remove abortion from the Canada Health Act, so provinces no longer have to cover the cost of abortions in hospitals and clinics.

This is being met with concern from Lyndsey Butcher, Executive Director of Shore Centre.

"We are of course disappointed to see our local MP present such a petition to the House of Commons. Abortion is considered an essential service under the Canada Health Act and the idea of defunding it would cause health inequity across the country."

Butcher said defunding abortion would cause significant barriers.

"Without health coverage, abortions could run anywhere between $300 and $1500 depending on the gestation and the type."

She added, 'any restriction to abortion doesn't prevent it, it just causes unsafe abortions. When patients can't afford an abortion they may go online and order pills, and who knows what the safety of those pills may be, or they may try and self induce an abortion.'

570 NEWS has reached out to Albrecht's office, however they have said "Harold doesn't have a further comment on this."

You can find a link to the petition here.