Liberals Introduce Legislation Requiring Pregnancy Counselling Charities to Confirm Offering Abortion Support

Women and Gender Equality and Youth Minister Marci Ien speaks at a news conference in Ottawa on Aug. 9, 2022. Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press

The Liberal government has introduced legislation requiring charities that offer pregnancy counselling to disclose whether they offer abortions or birth control to clients or make referrals for the services.

Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland and Women and Gender Equality and Youth Minister Marci Ien announced the legislation at a news conference on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Oct. 29.

Ien accused some charities that operate crisis pregnancy centres of “actively working to spread misinformation about abortion, putting the health and safety of young people and vulnerable women at risk.” She said some organizations seek to convince clients to keep their pregnancies.

“Registered charities that provide pregnancy-related information, advice, or services as one of their main activities, and that do not provide abortion or birth control services or referrals for such services, must be upfront in their public communications,” she said. “Transparency is key to making sure individuals seeking help are not misled.”

The proposed legislation will include changes to the Income Tax Act, she said. Organizations that don’t clearly disclose their services would be at risk of losing their charitable status.

The legislation outlines specific terms under which charities would have to disclose the information. At a minimum, the organizations would have to say whether or not they offer contact information for abortion or birth control services providers to those who request it.

The legislation was part of the Liberals’ platform during the 2021 election campaign, saying a re-elected Liberal government would “No longer provide charity status to anti-abortion organizations (for example, Crisis Pregnancy Centres) that provide dishonest counseling to women about their rights and about the options available to them at all stages of the pregnancy.”

Campaign Life Coalition (CLC), a pro-life lobby group, accused the government of trying to punish pro-life organizations and remove their charitable status.

“Stripping pro-life charities of their charitable status jeopardizes the very existence of these crucial organizations,” CLC national president Jeff Gunnarson said in a statement.

He said some centres could be forced to close, “leaving the women and babies they serve without the support they need.”

CLC said most pro-life pregnancy centres already disclose services they don’t offer, and that the legislation puts them “under unfair scrutiny” and “perpetuates misinformation” that they aren’t being transparent.

“With this proposed legislation, the Liberal party is once again reaffirming that it is not the party of ‘choice’ but the party of abortion as the only choice,” said Gunnarson.

The CLC said it wants Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre to oppose the legislation.

Poilievre has already said he won’t ban abortion if his party is elected government but that pro-life individuals are welcome in his party and he will focus on promoting adoption instead. He made the comments in a Sept. 11 letter to a CLC member obtained by The Epoch Times.

The Liberal legislation needs the support of another party for the legislation to pass.