Reproductive rights advocates are decrying the federal government's latest budget for failing to include a commitment to regulate anti-choice pregnancy centres.
Last fall, the government pledged to introduce legislation to require anti-choice charities disclose if they do not provide or refer for abortion or contraception on their website and advertisements. As then Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland said:
Today’s action to protect reproductive freedom is about stopping dishonest organizations from restricting a woman’s access to the reproductive care that is best for her.
However, the government failed to introduce that legislation before Parliament was prorogued, Mark Carney replaced Justin Trudeau as Prime Minister and the early election.
With Budget 2025's release last week, the government has broken its promise to protect pregnant people from being preyed upon by deceptive and dishonest organizations "that push women away from accessing the reproductive care of their choice."
Ian Bushfield, Executive Director, BC Humanist Association:
While Budget 2025 provided some much-needed funding for the Department of Women and Gender Equality to continue the fight for justice and equality, the lack of action on unregulated pregnancy centres and other anti-choice charities will continue to undermine that work.
This government currently needs the support of opposition MPs to pass its budget. It's critical that the pro-choice majority in this country make their voices heard.
The BC Humanist Association is calling on supporters to join the hundreds who have already written their Member of Parliament and ask that this pledge be restored in Budget 2025.
The House of Commons finance committee had also called on the government to use the budget to "No longer provide charitable status to anti-choice organizations" and to "remove the privileged status of 'advancement of religion' as a charitable purpose."
Other budget reactions
The Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives also has a round up of responses from progressive policy organizations (including their own).