Foreign Affairs Minister Lawrence Cannon looks over his shoulder after giving a speech to mark the International Day of La Francophonie and Canada's efforts in Haiti at the Foreign Affairs building in Ottawa March 15, 2010. (ANDRE FORGET/QMI AGENCY)

Foreign Affairs Minister Lawrence Cannon drew flak Thursday from medical experts for remarks he made the day before stating that family planning will not be part of the government’s initiative for maternal health in the developing world.

Cannon, also the MP for Pontiac, was describing to the foreign affairs committee the Conservative government’s plan to improve the health of mothers and young children in poor countries, which will be fully unveiled at the G8 summit in June.

“It does not deal in any way, shape or form with family planning. Indeed, the purpose of this (plan) is to be able to save lives,” Cannon said.

Many took that to mean contraception does not save lives.

“I honestly thought to look at the calendar to see if it was April 1,” said Dr. Janet Dollin, an associate professor in the family medicine department at the University of Ottawa, who also sits on the board of the Federation of Medical Women of Canada. “I didn’t really believe it. There’s no question contraception saves lives. No question. It feels like religion taking over from good medicine.”

Dollin said Cannon’s statements went contrary to scientific wisdom.

“This is a crazy statement and it’s flat-out wrong. It goes against statements made by medical boards around the world and by the United Nations. The UN said 1.5 million lives would be saved around the world.”

Dollin compared the consequences of the announcement to the George W. Bush years in the United States.

“Bush took all the benefits to maternal care away and pulled us back to the 1950s, and if this is what this government is thinking of now, I’m ashamed.”

She said she believes Cannon’s remarks were meant to appease the anti-abortion segment of the party.

Planned Parenthood executive director Heather Holland said she was disappointed, but not surprised by Cannon’s words. “There has been a reluctance in earlier conversations that this would be included in the plan. I think it’s potentially an attempt to make it more palatable to certain people, but it certainly isn’t to most Canadians.”

Holland stressed that condoms save lives by reducing unwanted pregnancies and sexually-transmitted diseases.

“It’s hard to believe that this plan is invested in health,” she said.

scott.taylor@sunmedia.ca