Secretary of State David Crombie recently stopped payment on an $8,000 cheque to an Alberta pro-family group, following allegations that the funds would be used to promote pro-life activities.
“We fund neither pro-life nor pro-choice,” Crombie’s press aide told the Ottawa Citizen. “We have nothing to do with abortion,” she said, noting that activities promoting either side of the abortion issue are “outside the criteria of the Women’s programme.”
The fact is , however, that the Women’s Programme of the Secretary of State continues to fund feminist groups who proudly acknowledge their pro-abortion and anti-family activities. Most recently, $15,000 was given to the Ottawa Women’s Week Committee who sponsored pro-abortion and pro-lesbian events. (See “tax dollars for lesbian propaganda” on page 1 of this issue).
This latest example of discrimination against pro-life organizations concerns the Alberta Federation of Women United for Families (AFWUF), an affiliate of REAL Women of Canada, another group whose requests for funding have been refused consistently.
The Secretary of State had awarded the grant retroactively to AFWUF to help pay for a seminar held last November. Topics covered included pornography, self-esteem, women in the media and in legislation. The government funds were not slated for pro-life work.
It should be pointed out that no restrictions as to how government funds are used appear to be put o organizations who support abortion.
The National Action Committee on the Status of Women (NAC) received half a million dollars in 1985/86 from the Women’s Programme. NAC has established a sub-committee on abortion, which according to its December 1985, newsletter “Feminist Action,” was formed to help raise the profile of the abortion rights struggle…it’s time for us to plan strategy and move with a unified voice – because that’s what’s needed to get Canadian abortion laws changed.”
NAC is one of the endorsers for the Ontario Coalition for Abortion Clinics (OCAC), which established Morgentaler’s illegal abortion “clinic” in Toronto. At NAC’s mid-year meeting, held in London, Ontario, this year (to which the Secretary of State contributed generous funding), the main speaker was Nikki Colodny, Morgentaler’s Toronto abortionist. Ms. Colodny stated, “We have to build a national visible pro-choice movement and not wait for the courts.” She then announced that another illegal operation would be set up somewhere in southern British Columbia this year.
An organization called Women and the Law (NAWL), received $152,000 from the Women’s Programme in 1985/86. Members of NAWL are required to sign a statement supporting a “woman’s right to reproductive freedom of choice” (abortion on demand). Its publication, “Who’s in Control” (February 1985), stated “Since Dr. Morgentaler’s clinics began to focus public attention on the abortion issue NAWL has consistently lobbied both the federal and provincial governments to promote choice.” NAWL has filed a formal complaint to the Judicial Council regarding the appointment of a judge to the Manitoba Court of Appeal for allegedly signing a “pro-life petition.” It has also used part of its funding to produce two “research” papers on abortion. In addition to its generous core funding from the Women’s Programme, NSWL was given a special grant of $5,000 in 1985, to hold a conference in February of that year on “reproductive rights.” The conference was entitled “Who’s in Control” and several workshops dealt with the abortion issue. Planned Parenthood of Canada assisted in providing some of the workshops.
