OTTAWA, Ontario (LifeSiteNews) –– The Liberal government of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has brought forth legislation that could see pro-life pregnancy centers stripped of their charitable tax status.
In a press release Tuesday, Canada’s Department of Finance announced new legislation to 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. The bill was tabled by Trudeau’s Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Youth Marci Ien.
The finance department said the new law will “require registered charities that provide services, advice, or information in respect of the prevention, preservation, or termination of pregnancy” to disclose where they “do not provide specific services, including abortions or birth control.”
“Under this legislation, a registered charity that provides reproductive health services would need to disclose if, at a minimum, it does not provide the contact information for an abortion services provider and a birth control service provider,” says the finance department.
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.”
Pro-life group rips proposed law
“Stripping pro-life charities of their charitable status jeopardizes the very existence of these crucial organizations,” Jeff Gunnarson, National President of Campaign Life Coalition, told LifeSiteNews.
“They would be forced to close, leaving the women and babies they serve without the support they need.”
CLC noted that the vast majority of pro-life pregnancy centres already disclose that they “don’t commit or refer for abortions.”
“This proposed legislation puts them under unfair scrutiny and perpetuates misinformation from abortion-activist organizations, which falsely claim that they aren’t transparent,” said CLC.
Gunnarson said to LifeSiteNews that with the 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.”
“We call on opposition parties to unite to oppose this legislation. It must not pass. Lives depend on it.”
CLC’s Director of Communications Pete Baklinski also chimed in about the planned changes, saying the Trudeau government “wants to take down Canada’s pro-life pregnancy resource centers.”
“When the Liberals introduce this legislation, opposition parties must unite and vote non-confidence and trigger an election,” he observed on X.
Justin Trudeau wants to take down Canada’s pro-life pregnancy resource centres.
When the Liberals introduce this legislation, opposition parties must unite and vote non-confidence and trigger an election.
The Liberal government needs to fall over this heinous legislation.… https://t.co/ZkRqXh9EzD
— Pro-life Canadian Man (@PeteBaklinski) October 29, 2024
“The Liberal government needs to fall over this heinous legislation.”
CLC also called on the Conservative Party under its leader Pierre Poilievre to “fulfill his promise to, as he said, ‘stand up against attempts by the government to attack organizations that help pregnant women.’”
“This is a crucial promise for pro-life pregnancy care centres that do such great work for mothers and children and which are now under attack by Mr. Trudeau for their life-affirming work,” noted CLC.
Despite the reality that Poilievre is also pro-abortion, Trudeau has in recent weeks ramped up his abortion rhetoric on social media in a seeming bid to rally his base, consistently boasting about his government’s desire to make killing a child in the womb easier than ever. He has also repeatedly bragged about his pro-abortion record in the House of Commons.
In one instance, Trudeau promoted a new online abortion portal, essentially admitting that the goal of the website is to help women make ending the life of their unborn child a “simple” thing to do.
For years, Trudeau has professed his support for abortion despite having been baptized Catholic. Since taking office in 2015, his Liberal government has put forward pro-abortion policies such as stripping pregnancy resource centers of their charitable status for promoting life instead of abortion.
According to CLC, abortion has killed over four million preborn babies in Canada since its legalization in 1969. That is roughly equivalent to the population of Alberta.