OTTAWA, Ontario (LifeSiteNews) — Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre’s promise to protect pro-life pregnancy centers is about to be put to the test.
Pro-lifers are demanding that Poilievre, who himself is pro-abortion, hold to his September pledge to support pro-life pregnancy centers after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government recently introduced legislation which puts the charitable tax status of pro-life pregnancy centers at risk.
“We call on the Leader of the Opposition to fulfill the promise he made as recently as September 11th when he wrote, ‘I will stand up against attempts by the government to attack organizations that help pregnant women,'” Campaign Life Coalition’s (CLC) Jack Fonseca told LifeSiteNews.
“Well that ‘government attempt’ is happening now with Trudeau’s spiteful and heinous proposed legislation. And therefore, the time for Mr. Poilievre to ‘stand up’ is also now,” he declared.
The comments were in reference to a September letter which Poilievre had written to 83-year-old Saskatoon pro-life advocate Don Plemel in regard to his abortion stance.
“While my government will not introduce or pass a law banning abortions, there are many other ways to support women who want to bring a child into the world,” Poilievre wrote.
“I will also stand up against attempts by the government to attack organizations that help pregnant women,” he continued. “I believe focusing on bills that promote adoption and help pregnant women through crises would do greater good.”
While the letter originally made excuses for why Poilievre refused to stand up for the unborn killed by abortion, his promises have new significance in light of Trudeau’s proposed legislation.
“Not only is it the right thing for Poilievre to do, in order to save these crucial charities which provide free formula, diapers and baby clothes to young mothers in need, but it can also be tremendously advantageous for Conservatives,” Fonseca explained.
“The Liberals have given Poilievre a gift because now, he can paint Trudeau, accurately, as trying to snatch formula from the mouths of babies,” he added. “They can expose Trudeau for trying to block young women in need from being able to get free diapers and onesies for their newborn, as well as housing assistance, emotional support and adoption counselling.”
“This is what crisis pregnancy centres and their volunteers do every day, with much love and sacrifice,” he revealed. “Trudeau is trying to shut down hundreds of pro-life pregnancy centres by imposing strict rules on disclosure of the fact they don’t commit or refer for abortions, not only on their websites, but in all communications, advertisments, etc.”
The new legislation, introduced October 29, would amend the Income Tax Act and Income Tax Regulations to protect “reproductive freedom by preventing abuse of charitable status.” The euphemistic term “reproductive freedom” refers to the so-called freedom to have an abortion or engage in other anti-life practices.
In effect, the bill would mandate that registered charities disclose whether or not they offer abortion or birth control services or if they provide contact information to those who do, with the department of finance clarifying that “[w]here a charity fails to meet the requirements specified in the legislation, the Minister of National Revenue would be permitted to revoke its registration.”
Since taking office in 2015, the Trudeau government has not only promoted abortion, but also mercilessly targeted pro-lifers and pro-life organizations.