The Liberal government has proposed legislation that would require charities offering pregnancy counselling to disclose whether they provide abortions or birth control to clients or make referrals for these services.
Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland and Women and Gender Equality and Youth Minister Marci Ien unveiled the legislation at a news conference on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Oct. 29.
Ien criticized some charities operating crisis pregnancy centres for spreading misinformation about abortion, potentially endangering the health and safety of young people and vulnerable women. She noted that some organizations aim to persuade clients to continue their pregnancies.
“Registered charities that primarily offer pregnancy-related information, advice, or services, but do not provide abortion or birth control services or referrals, must be transparent in their public communications,” she stated. “Transparency is crucial to ensuring that individuals seeking assistance are not misled.”
The legislation outlines specific requirements for charities to disclose information. At a minimum, organizations must indicate whether they offer contact information for abortion or birth control service providers to those who request it.
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The Campaign Life Coalition (CLC), a pro-life advocacy group, accused the government of targeting pro-life organizations and revoking their charitable status.
“Revoking charitable status from pro-life organizations threatens the existence of these vital groups,” stated CLC national president Jeff Gunnarson.
He expressed concern that some centres may be forced to shut down, leaving women and babies without necessary support.
CLC argued that most pro-life pregnancy centres already disclose the services they do not offer and criticized the legislation for subjecting them to undue scrutiny and perpetuating misinformation about transparency.
“The Liberal party’s proposed legislation reinforces their stance as advocates for abortion as the only choice, rather than a party of true choice,” Gunnarson added.
CLC urged Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre to oppose the legislation.
For the Liberal legislation to pass, it would require the support of another party.
