Liberals want pregnancy counselling charities to disclose if they offer abortion help

OTTAWA — The Liberal government is introducing legislation to require charities that offer pregnancy counselling to disclose whether they also offer abortion and birth control or referral to those services.

Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland made the announcement Tuesday during her weekly news conference with other cabinet ministers, including Health Minister Mark Holland.

The government says it wants to crack down on anti-choice groups masquerading as organizations that offer full-service pregnancy supports, when in reality they push women away from accessing some services such as abortion.

If the legislation passes, organizations that don’t clearly disclose their services could lose their charitable status.

“We’re introducing this legislation to ensure that women who are seeking information about their health care options are not misled, and we’re doing this to ensure that those who mislead Canadian women are not rewarded with subsidies from Canadian taxpayers,” Freeland said.

The Liberals have been increasingly vocal on abortion issues as they try to wedge the Conservatives — who have several anti-choice members of Parliament in their caucus — on an issue that’s at the centre of the U.S. election campaign.

To pass the legislation, the Liberals will need another opposition party to vote in favour of it.

NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh intends to introduce a motion on his party’s next opposition day in the House of Commons asking other parties to back a pledge to expand access to abortion in Canada.

Singh said Conservative MPs have moved several “anti-choice” motions, while the Liberals have not done enough to improve abortion access.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 29, 2024.