News

By Patrick B. Craine

OTTAWA, Ontario, September 7, 2010 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Will the Canadian government fund, or not fund abortion overseas? That has been the question since early spring when Stephen Harper announced his much-debated G8 maternal health plan.

But while the government has repeatedly stated that it will not “reopen the abortion debate” and fund overseas abortions, new information has surfaced in the last week that Canada’s top pro-life leader says throws into question those promises.

While International Cooperation Minister Bev Oda and the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) are insisting that Canada has never directly funded abortion, the fact is that CIDA has backed some of the world’s largest abortion providers for decades.

In a letter to the editor of the Ottawa Citizen on Saturday, Bev Oda, who heads CIDA, wrote only that “Canada has never directly funded any project aimed at increasing the availability of abortion in developing countries.”

Oda was responding to an earlier interview with her, published by the Citizen, in which she seemed to suggest that the government was open to funding abortion overseas, contrary to its avowed stance.  “As long as it is legal within the country and it's a legal procedure…if we were asked to help in that way, we would do that,” Oda was quoted as saying.

Oda has since insisted that the interview as published “misrepresented our government's position,” and reiterated the government’s stance against funding abortion under the G8 initiative.

Even now, however, CIDA is maintaining a grant to abortion provider Marie Stopes, which has admitted in the past to providing abortions illegally in the Third World.  Oda has even said they are considering re-funding the world’s largest abortion provider, the International Planned Parenthood Federation.

LifeSiteNews asked Oda’s office to explain how their relationship with Marie Stopes fits in with their commitment not to fund overseas abortion.

“CIDA has provided funding to Marie Stopes for specific projects such as HIV prevention, not general operations or core funding,” responded Oda’s spokesperson, Jessica Fletcher.  “This funding is tracked, and specific organizations must show accountability for results and effectiveness.”

Jim Hughes, National President of Campaign Life Coalition, the political arm of Canada’s pro-life movement, said this response is not adequate.

“Bev Oda is talking out of both sides of her mouth,” he told LifeSiteNews.com. “Tracked or not, every dollar to abortionists like Marie Stopes or Planned Parenthood supports their lucrative abortion business.”

“Canadians backed Harper’s G8 maternal health initiative because he promised to focus on true health care that saves lives,” added Hughes.  “But you can’t trust such a key portfolio to an abortion activist like Oda, who can’t help but impose her own ideology.”

Contact Information:

Prime Minister Stephen Harper
80 Wellington Street
Ottawa
K1A 0A2
Fax: 613-941-6900
E-mail: [email protected]

See related LifeSiteNews.com coverage:

Canadian Gvmt Funding Group that Performs Illegal Abortions
https://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2010/sep/10090312.html

Conservative Minister Bev Oda Reopens G8 Abortion Debate
https://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2010/sep/10090209.html