A controversial motion will be debated in the House of Commons on Thursday that could lead to changing Canada’s abortion laws.

MP’s are looking at a request from a back-bench MP to start a committee study on when human life begins.

Conservative MP Stephen Woodworth says Canada’s definition of life is 400-years-old and that it is time to have an open discussion based on medical evidence.

He says there are many different views on this issue and that it is his job as an MP to address it.

“Rather than let opinions fester, one should expose them to the light of day,” said Woodworth.

The NDP says this is a clear attack on women’s rights and party leader Thomas Mulcair says he does not buy the prime ministers vow not to reopen the abortion debate.  

“If he didn’t want that to be discussed, it wouldn’t be there. This is their backdoor way of signaling to their base that this is what they would actually like to do but they just can’t do it,” said Mulcair.

It is not clear how much support Woodworth has from his own party but a vote on the motion will not take place for several months.