Calgary City Council appears set to approve 1986 funding for the city’s Birth Control Association, despite being presented with documented information showing that the CBCA acts as an abortion referral agency and actively lobbies for increased abortion access.
Mike Malley, president of the newly-formed Campaign Life Calgary, contends that the city is funding a political lobbying programme in its grants to the CBCA. The charge is denied by Alderman Barbara Scott, head of the social services committee, looking at the association’s request for $179,463, an increase of $23,408 over last year’s funding.
Mr. Malley told Council that “The CBCA likes to present itself as primarily a sex education and birth control group, with an abortional referral service. Our new information proves that CBCA is primarily an abortion referral centre which is deeply committed to political lobbying for abortion on demand…”
In 1985, the CBCA produced a paper instructing its clients on how to lobby for abortion on demand. Administrator Cheryl Lipcomb denied that the paper was prepared as a lobbying tool for the CBCA itself. It was, she said, prepared as part of an information day for pro-abortion supporters and CBCA members.
Mr. Malley also pointed out that Ms. Lipscomb told the Calgary Herald that 90 per cent of the Association’s clients were referred for abortions. “We’re obviously filling a community need,” she said. “We needn’t rationalize any further.”
Last June the CBCA appeared before the Parliamentary Committee on Equality Rights. Mr. Malley presented Council members with a copy of the Association’s brief, which clearly identified the group’s active endorsement of abortion o demand.
“This CBCA brief,” said Mr. Malley, “lobbies in the name of the president, the board of directors and the whole association ‘as a group’ for abortion on demand, that is, ‘It is our recommendation that the Federal government rescind Section 251 of the Criminal Code of Canada.’”
The city’s community services committee rejected Mr. Malley’s request that the city terminate its funding of the CBCA. However, it decided to put on hold all requests for funding by local agencies until the provincial government announces its 1986 budget.
Campaign Life Calgary is the latest affiliate of Campaign Life Canada, the national political action group. Calgary area pro-lifers interested in learning more about the objectives of the group can contact Mike Malley at 705- 17th Avenue N.W., Suite 3, Calgary, Alberta T2M 0N8, (403) 282-9809.
