B.C. Conservative Leader John Rustad unveiled a reproductive health plan on Friday that includes a pledge to fund two cycles of in-vitro fertilization (IVF).
It’s a doubling of the promise the B.C. NDP government made in its budget earlier this year, in which it committed to one free round of the fertility treatment. That program has $68 million behind it so far, and is slated to launch in April 2025.
Rustad said a B.C. Conservative government would further finance a second round of IVF for those needing it, but has yet to put a dollar figure behind the pledge.
In-vitro fertilization is a medical procedure in which an egg is fertilized by sperm, but outside of the body. It is often used by people facing infertility due to circumstances such as age or reproductive challenges.
Penny Blesch, founder of the non-profit Fertility Coalition of B.C., said she thinks the Conservatives have been listening closely to families who have dealt with infertility.
Blesch, who consulted with the Ministry of Health on the NDP government’s plan, said for many couples one round of IVF treatment is not enough.
Still, she has questions about Rustad’s campaign promise.
“I would be very interested to know what the budget is,” she said. “Is it going to be double what the NDP’s is, or is it somehow leveraging other treatments?”
With just days to go before the Oct. 19 election and advance voting already well underway, the Conservatives are the only party that has yet to release a costed platform.
Rustad said the delay has been deliberate and that their plan will likely be released in the next few days.
“Once you release a fully costed platform, you’ve released your entire platform,” the party leader said. “And so, we’re using this opportunity through the campaign for people to understand who we are, the things that we want to bring.”
The Conservatives’ IVF pledge is part of their five-point plan on reproductive health, which also includes support for women after pregnancy loss, training for midwives, financial support for adoption and an increase in research on women’s health.
In a statement, the B.C. NDP said the Conservatives’ reproductive health plan includes things the New Democrats are already doing, including IVF funding.
“What the plan doesn’t include is any mention of access to abortion or contraception,” the statement reads.
Last month, Rustad wrote on social media that “under a B.C. Conservative government, access to abortion, contraception and other items will remain exactly as it is now.”