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Parliament of Canada.

By Arpad Nagy (Quebec Life Coalition) - Photo: Arpad Nagy

Yesterday, for the first time ever, I attended the question period in the house of commons in Ottawa.

And what a day it was!

The Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Youth, Hon. Marci Ien, tabled a motion in the house “that contains our plan to require more transparency from charities that use deceptive tactics to push women away from making their own reproductive decisions”. So in short, the liberals, with the help of the NDP and BLOC, are starting their all-out attack on pro-life pregnancy centres.

So many members of parliament from those parties spoke out today against pregnancy centres. So many pregnancy centres provide crucial services to pregnant women and to mothers! Women who receive counseling, financial aid, baby items such as diapers, clothes, food, toys, etc… and all of this free of charge!!! The push to shut down these extraordinary centres that help women who want to have their children is so uncomprehensible!

Jeff Gunnerson, president of Campaign Life Coalition took quick action and wrote a letter to Pierre Poilievre, urging him and the conservative caucus to oppose this motion. He writes: “This legislation is nothing more than evidence of a Liberal vendetta against pro-life organizations that offer women more choices other than abortion, such as adoption and parenting. (…) With this 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.”

Here are many of the statements that were uttered in our house of commons yesterday (all quotes are taken from Hansard, the official transcript of the house of commons, found here):

Hon. Marci Ien (Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Youth, Lib.):

Mr. Speaker, people have the right to make informed decisions about their own bodies. Across the country, we are seeing anti-choice pregnancy crisis centres undermine a woman's right to choose. Today, I tabled a motion to require more transparency from charities providing pregnancy counsel. If they do not, they stand the chance of losing their charitable status.

Women have shared stories with me about how they have felt when they have walked into these centres, how they have felt shame, how they have felt guilt, and how it has been at the most difficult time in their lives. This legislation would ensure that no woman will endure judgment or pressure from groups that restrict her freedom.

Mr. Kody Blois (Kings—Hants, Lib.):

I cannot help but remark on the point of order that was just made by the Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Youth about the importance of ensuring proper access to abortion services, and that women be able to make that choice themselves. I thank the minister for her work and for making sure that charities are not trying to undo or limit the ability of women to make that choice.

Mr. Jagmeet Singh (Burnaby South, NDP):

In her documentary, La peur au ventre, Léa Clermont-Dion shows that the anti-choice movement is gaining ground and that anti-choice groups are pulling Conservative strings. The Liberals, for their part, have not improved access to abortion.

Ms. Laurel Collins (Victoria, NDP):

Mr. Speaker, it is our body, our lives, our choice. Abortion care is health care, but the Liberals keep letting Conservative premiers erode access, while these Conservatives creep anti-choice legislation into Canada.

Mr. Charles Sousa (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Services and Procurement, Lib.):

Our government is committed to taking action against bad actors, whether they be federal contractors, anti-abortion activists or homophobic hecklers.

Right Hon. Justin Trudeau (Prime Minister, Lib.):

Mr. Speaker, as a party, as a government, we have always been there to defend women's rights. We will continue to do so and increase access to reproductive health care and services across the country.

Ms. Leah Taylor Roy (Aurora—Oak Ridges—Richmond Hill, Lib.):

Mr. Speaker, last week, we found out that an ex-Conservative MP left his party after seeing the increase in the number of anti-choice MPs in the caucus. Anti-choice organizations that support those MPs use deceptive tactics to push women away from making informed choices and accessing a full range of reproductive care through so-called pregnancy crisis centres.

Ms. Joanne Thompson (St. John's East, Lib.):

Mr. Speaker, protecting a woman's right to control her own body includes access to clear and transparent choices in health care. Far too often, we see bad actors operating in the charitable health care sector, victimizing vulnerable women seeking sexual and reproductive health services.

Hon. Chrystia Freeland (Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, Lib.):

Today, we introduced legislation that would deny charitable status to centres that fail to disclose services they do or do not offer. This is about telling the truth. It is about women and girls across our country having control of their own bodies. That is what our government is proud to stand up for.

Wow! So many references to abortion rights! Honestly, I am very perplexed at how far some people will go to punish well intentioned people who just want to help those in need (in this case, helping pregnant women and mothers with young children) and to make sure that abortion is the only choice pushed in our society. These people glorify abortion! They glorify child sacrifice! In the name of the (one and only) choice, they are ready to intensify the coercion of women to kill their own children. In a time when our society is in a demographic collapse, everything is done to dissuade women from having families. In a society that considers itself so civilized, we are removing help from those who need it most.

One piece of good news came out of yesterday: Pro-life MP Garnett Genuis tabled a petition he collected on the politicizing of the criteria for charitable tax status, referring specifically to the defunding of charities who do not agree with the Liberals’ ideology on abortion. Signing parliamentary petitions does help, as it gives a voice to every opinion.

I know that pro-life individuals and groups, as well as well-intentioned people will rise up against this persecution. We will have more to come on this story, and will keep you informed on actions we can take.

I am in Ottawa also today (Wednesday) and I plan on watching the vote live from the gallery of the house. You can also watch on the parlvu website.

The parliamentary proceedings, including the question period, is accessible to members of the public, so if you are in Ottawa, you can also drop in. It is the same thing when the senate is in session.