Beyond The Commons

 Beyond The Commons

Aaron Wherry covers all the goings-on in and around Parliament Hill. Follow Aaron on Twitter: @aaronwherry

Categories: Beyond The Commons, Capital Read

'Misrepresent the government's position'

by Aaron Wherry on Thursday, September 2, 2010 11:50pm - 0 Comments

The Prime Minister’s Office tells CP the government will not be funding abortion overseas as part of its maternal health plan and a spokeswoman for International Cooperation Minister Bev Oda says Ms. Oda’s comments to the Ottawa Citizen were “taken out of context and misrepresent the government’s position.” (Though a LifeSiteNews report had Ms. Oda’s office not taking issue with how the comments were rendered.)

Ms. Oda’s office also tells CP that it is “inaccurate” to suggest Planned Parenthood is, to use Elizabeth Payne’s words, “on the verge” of once again receiving funding from the federal government. But a spokeswoman for Planned Parenthood, which applied to have its funding renewed more than a year ago, tells me that the IPPF is “engaged in active discussions about the possibilities for … future funding with CIDA.”

Meanwhile, in light of the Citizen’s story, the Campaign Life Coalition had called for Ms. Oda to be removed from her ministerial post.

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  • Emily

    Hands up anyone who didn't see this one coming.

  • Jenn_

    Wow, is PMO now claiming Ms. Oda isn't even a woman? I know the first step is to shoot the messenger, but that seems harsh.

    On the other hand, Aaron, is that typo yours?

    • AJR79

      No Jenn, that should not be 'Mr.Oda".

      BTW I've been seriously considering your advice on not voting next election. Why would I support a government that has disappointed me so.

      The final straw was the "tough on crime" agenda. Although I may be the only one in the country to think of that as a ballot box issue.

      It was more a general malaise with certain policies that caused me to disaffect. Don't count on me voting Liberal thou.

      • Jenn_

        That's fair enough. Many of the Liberals that stayed away in droves last election didn't vote Conservative (or anything else). And it was noted and it hurt. I just mean a vote they were counting on, not showing up, is sending a message.

        And I see Aaron's fixed it now.

  • Standing By

    I wish to note, for the record, that some 14 hours ago I commented on Well's original Oda story as follows:

    The Bev Oda piece is interesting, and important, but well within the range of human imagination. It could be a sign that Bev is trying to find her independent voice, but that seem unlikely at this late stage. Maybe this is her idea of a policy finesse. I fear she will soon be appearing before microphones clarifying that the whole discussion was taken out of context, and there's been no change in policy, just ask Dmitri, here's his number.

    I shall now begin my victory lap…

    Thank you, thank you!

    - PB

    • MostlyCivil

      Dimitri doesn't give out his number or whereabouts.

    • Emily

      LOL I thought of your remark as soon as I saw the item.

  • DianeG

    So, now "Campaign Life" is saying that our current government does not support the need for an abortion when a woman's life is in danger. I suspect a majority of Canadians would not agree with that position and hope, probably in vain, that Ms. Oda will not lose her cabinet position.

  • Standing By

    I think keeping his anti-abortion policy in the news helps him appeal to the American Tea Baggers he is playing to. He is now the only world leader other than Bush who has successfully tried to undermine international aid programs by injecting the toxic issue of abortion into the discussion.

    Attaboy Steve. That's a great talking point he can use in Washington when he becomes a regular on Fox news.

    • Blue

      So you would rather this " toxic issue of abortion " not even be talked about, just the way it`s done here.
      Would you rather each overseas organization develop it`s own policy depending on who is running the show ?

      I think Harper has shown some courage here in promoting maternal and child health care but discouraging abortion.
      Of course, abortions funded from foreign aid will not be stopped completely in Africa and of course there will be some people even in Bev Oda`s department who disagree with the gov`t policy and of course some gov`t critics will exploit this complicated issue by trying to create havoc.

      There`s never going to be 100% agreement on such a fundamental issue as abortion but if Harper believes that the previous Canadian policy of funding abortions with foreign aid is wrong, then he should say so and he has, and acted accordingly.
      If Iggnattief believes we should fund abortions in Africa, then he should say so and that can be one of his policies.

  • Ryan

    The evangelicals in this country have been played like a fiddle by Harper.

    • Amateur Hour

      Despite the prevalence of this simile on these boards, I'm surprised no one has employed the Nero comparison.

      • Emily

        They have a photo of Bush playing a guitar at a party while people were drowning in New Orleans after Katrina, and the 'cheap fiddle' for Harper is much the same.

  • bergkamp

    "he Canadian government needs to reinstate financial support – on hold for 11 months – for the International Planned Parenthood Federation, one of the oldest and most highly regarded organizations funding sexual and reproductive health programs.

    This organization provides gynecological care, treatment for HIV, diagnosis and treatment of sexually transmitted diseases, contraception – and yes, abortion-related counseling – to 31 million women and children in 174 different countries every year. Canada has funded the agency, without apparent controversy, in past years, and has even been a major donor." Globe/Mail, May, 2010

    I was googling to find out how long Canada has been funding planned parenthood and found this article. Seems like Cons are stringing IPPF along a bit and we don't know how long before they make decision.

    I was shocked to find out yesterday that Canadians fund planned parenthood. Planned parenthood is a eugenics organization that targets minorities for abortion in America and I was dismayed to find out that Canadians, and probably other countries, are now paying to export Sanger's negro project to the world. It is disgraceful and taints all Canadians.

    This is perfect example of my belief that liberals and progressives have no fringe. If they did, they would not support an org founded by Sanger because she was as odious as they come.
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GfFVKqHWJU0&fe…

    • Mike T.

      No one is better off for having read this tripe.

    • TJCook

      "Planned parenthood is a eugenics organization that targets minorities for abortion in America…"

      This isn't any more true today than it was yesterday, bergy.

      • bergkamp

        If you say so, TJ Cook, it must be true.

        "Do you know what the leading cause of death in the African American Community since 1973 is? Think about it for a minute. Is it heart disease – 2,266,789 deaths since 1973, cancer -1,638,350, or accidents – 370,723? Is it AIDS -203,695, or violent crimes-306, 313? There is one possibility that is often overlooked. It happens 1452 times a day in our community. It has taken over 13 million Black lives within the last 30 years. It has taken 1/3 of our present population. What is it? ABORTION!" from National Black Catholic Congress

        ""Planned Parenthood is the largest abortion provider in America. 78% of their clinics are in minority communities. Blacks make up 12% of the population, but 35% of the abortions in America. Are we being targeted?" LEARN (Learn officially established in 1993 at the African American Pro-Life Planning Conference in Houston, Texas.)

        • TJCook

          ZOMG! Planned Parenthood wants to murder Black babies!

          Or, alternatively, they focus on providing access to abortion to disadvantaged women. In the US, minority women are disproportionately poor.

          What seems more likely to you?

          • bergkamp

            "In the US, minority women are disproportionately poor."

            So Planned Parenthood continues its founder's mission.

            "It is a vicious cycle; ignorance breeds poverty and poverty breeds ignorance. There is only one cure for both, and that is to stop breeding these things. Stop bringing to birth children whose inheritance cannot be one of health or intelligence. Stop bringing into the world children whose parents cannot provide for them." M Sanger

          • TJCook

            Selective editing of 75-year-old quotes does not demonstrate that Planned Parenthood is racist or believes in eugenics.

            This is beyond weak, jolyon. It's not enough to be pro-life, you have to engage in this clownish attempt to demonize pro-choicers?

  • Emily

    Religious groups should not be calling the shots in our govt.

    Separation of church and state.

  • BGLong

    Eugenics ….. oh,and (whisper) statistics too ……..
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_Galton

    Brits screw up everything ..

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