1 week Ago By Special to National Post
Last week, the Liberal government introduced legislation that, if passed, will force organizations with charitable status to advertise not only the services they provide, but also those they do not. But lest you think this law might apply broadly — say, to the David Suzuki Foundation, requiring it to declare that it doesn’t drill for oil — rest assured that it won’t. This bill, tabled by Marci Ien, minister for women, gender equality and youth, is narrowly aimed at one specific group of charities: those that provide vital support to pregnant women.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the Liberal party’s fixation on promoting abortion has extended to an active campaign against pregnancy care centres. These centres offer much-needed resources and alternatives for women facing unplanned pregnancies, yet it appears the government has little interest in supporting organizations that present options beyond abortion. Canadians should be asking why the prime minister insists on making life harder for women in vulnerable situations.
Even the Abortion Rights Coalition of Canada admits that, “Many women state they ‘have no real choice’ as they do not have the financial resources to support themselves and a child.” Pregnancy care centres fill this gap, providing alternatives to abortion through prenatal education, parenting programs and essential baby supplies like diapers and formula. Pregnancy Care Canada reports that in the last 26 years, 179,953 women and men have accessed help at their affiliated centres.
These organizations have provided material supplies to over 280,000 clients, supported over 22,000 through prenatal education and reached 36,000 with parenting programs. Additionally, 11,595 women have sought and received post-abortion support. Despite these contributions, the Liberal government claims these centres are dishonest because they don’t offer abortion services.
The government’s solution is to potentially strip them of their charitable tax status, which would limit their ability to serve their communities. As leaders of our respective organizations and parents of nine children between our two families, we understand firsthand that pregnancy is often challenging. Community support is crucial, especially for unplanned pregnancies.
Local pregnancy care centres provide women with real options beyond abortion. Yet the government’s single-minded focus pushes abortion as the only acceptable choice. If this legislation passes, pregnancy care centres will be forced to publicly acknowledge they do not offer abortion services — a requirement that targets them for exclusion from conversations about supporting women.
Should organizations be compelled to advertise services that contradict their core mission? This approach raises questions about the government’s commitment to actual choice for women. Do we want a country in which the only resources available to pregnant women are those that support abortion? What happened to supporting all women’s choices, not just one? The government’s underlying message is troubling. The ability to bear a child is unique to women, yet instead of celebrating this, the government’s approach suggests that in order to be equal to men, women must choose abortion.
This denies women their uniqueness and suggests motherhood is an obstacle to equality, rather than a celebrated difference. Pregnancy care centres help women embrace this difference with dignity and support, offering practical help and encouragement. Removing their charitable status will only harm women who rely on these services.
This legislation is a political tactic intended to silence organizations offering a different perspective. By coercing pregnancy care centres to declare what they don’t do, the government seeks to undermine their credibility. This disregards the real and significant contributions that these centres make to their communities.
Pregnancy care centres are granted charitable tax status because they provide a benefit to communities. They support women at their most vulnerable, offering options when they feel like they have none. This benefit should be defended and encouraged, not attacked and undermined.
If the government truly cared about women’s well-being, it would support, not suppress, the work of pregnancy care centres. These centres expand choice, offering services that help women navigate pregnancy and parenting challenges. Knowing that resources and people are available to support them can make all the difference for women in difficult situations.
Canada should be a country where women are empowered to make the best choices for themselves and their children — not pressured into one narrow option. That means preserving the important work of pregnancy care centres, not penalizing them for the values they uphold. As Canadians, we must ask: do we want a government that respects and values women’s choices, or one that coerces charitable organizations into pushing a single agenda? It’s a question that goes beyond politics — it’s about the kind of society we want to build for future generations.
National Post Alissa Golob is the co-founder of RightNow, a not-for-profit organization committed to increasing voter intensity on life issues. Mike Schouten is the executive director of the Association for Reformed Political Action Canada, an advocacy organization with a mission to educate, equip and encourage Christians to political action..
