Synopsis of fall 2013 national defund campaign
Originally published: October 9, 2013 Last update: October 25, 2:40pm
Campaign Life Coalition’s defund abortion campaign exploded beyond the boundaries of Ontario where it first began, making a grand entrance onto the national stage with inaugural defund abortion rallies held in 4 additional provinces. Between Sep 28 to Oct 5, taxpayers sent the message to their provincial legislators that the practice of killing preborn children via elective abortion is not medically necessary and cannot constitute legitimate health care.
They told their provincial representatives that elective abortion is a lifestyle choice, made for reasons of socio-economic convenience, and therefore, it should not be paid for with tax dollars. The Canada Health Act only requires "medically necessary" procedures to be funded by the provinces, but it does not say that abortion is medically necessary.
Taxpayers in Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario and Nova Scotia held rallies simultaneously on Thursday October 3rd, while Newfoundland & Labrador had its rally 5 days earlier on September 28th. Two more provinces will conduct rallies in the spring - BC and Quebec. In the spring, Manitoba will host a follow-up rally as well.
The campaign received a lot of media attention across the country. At least 38 news reports were published including TV, radio and newspaper. On the social media end, Alissa Golob, CLC's Youth Coordinator, set up a tweet-a-thon that had hundreds of people tweeting all day on October 3 about de-insuring abortion.
The defund campaign will continue throughout the year with pamphleting blitzes, petitions and MPP lobbying. We will see the day when taxpayers are no longer forced to pay for the killing of children with their hard-earned money.
Jump to a provincial summary: Alberta - Manitoba - Nova Scotia - Ontario - Newfoundland - Moving forward
ALBERTA
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About 200 Alberta taxpayers gathered at the provincial legislature in Edmonton for the first-ever, Defund Abortion Rally on Thursday October 3. The leader was 24-year old Sharon Rose-Milan, the new Executive Director for CLC Alberta. She was joined by Alissa Golob, chairperson of the national defund initiative. Other speakers included Rosie Rosenkey from the Wilberforce Project, Denise Mountenay from Canada Silent No More and Lauren Kyriuk from the Canadian Centre for Bioethical Reform. “The atmosphere was so uplifting. The crowd was exuberant and responded to our speeches with spontaneous ‘defund abortion’ chants”, said Rose-Milan. “There were a lot of young people in the crowd as well, which is a great sign for the future of this provincial initiative. These taxpayers don’t agree with $13-million of their tax dollars being funneled to pay for a medically unnecessary procedure that is morally reprehensible”. Speakers pointed out that for |
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$13-million, Alberta could hire 57 family doctors or 200 nurses in communities facing a dire shortage, or purchase 9 life-saving MRI machines every year, or provide crucial therapy to 167 additional autistic children each year. Rose-Milan observed the irony that the pro-life speakers were mostly young women, whereas the five, pro-abort counter-protestors were all men. On Facebook, Alissa Golob referred to the five guys as “bro-choicers”, alluding to a male faction of the pro-abortion movement in America which recently embarrassed the abortion industry. Young college men opposed to Texas legislation that aimed to restrict abortion in that state began a “bro-choice campaign” in favour of “abortion rights”. The main argument of the bro-choice campaign was that if guys don’t want to lose the ability to have casual sex with young women, they need to protect the abortion status quo. The Alberta rally received a lot of media coverage including City TV, the Edmonton Advisor newspaper and other media outlets. |
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MANITOBA
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On Thursday October 3rd, Manitoba taxpayers gathered at the steps of the legislature in Winnipeg for the debut of the provincial Defund Abortion Rally. Twenty-three year old Scott Hayward was the Rally Leader for Campaign Life Coalition Manitoba. He reported that approximately 120 pro-life citizens and concerned taxpayers were outnumbered 2 or 3 to1 by aggressive and belligerent, labour union muscle who counter-protested for “free abortion on-demand”. The union thugs used bullhorns and pots and pans to drown out pro-life speakers. It was also evident from the various labour union placards and professionally-printed signs, that the Manitoba Federation of Labour, CUPE and the UFCW brought in union muscle... and union money. Whereas the people who came to decry taxpayer-funded abortions were average Manitobans - real people who took time off their busy work or school day, the pro-death side were just artificial protestors, bused in by the labour unions. They were “astro-turf”, in the famous words of Nancy Pelosi, organized by wealthy unions. A video by the Winnipeg Free Press shows several labour union signs amongst the pro-death protestors, and features an interview with Charlene Matheson, an executive from the Manitoba Federation of Labour. At one point, two scruffy pro-aborts, come up behind the podium, interrupting the pro-life leader’s speech and hurling verbal abuse and sexual taunts at him. Hayward had to put out his arm to prevent the pro-abort thugs from getting any closer as they appeared poised to grab the microphone during his speech or perhaps even assault him. |
Surely, these unions must have dues-paying members who disagree with abortion. Wouldn’t they be outraged to learn that their union spent their hard-earned money to advocate for abortion? The purpose of a union is to negotiate good wages and benefits with employers on behalf of employees, so why exactly is a union advocating for “free abortion on demand”? This sort of activism falls outside the mandate of a union and constitutes a gross abuse of members' dues. We encourage Manitobans who are members of these unions to publicly censure union bosses over this incident. We would love to see dues-paying Manitobans mount some kind of public campaign against this outrageous, pro-baby killing activism.
In spite of the union thuggery, Hayward remained in good spirits and was pleased that the defund abortion message will be heard by the province’s MLAs. CLC’s Manitoba President, Maria Slykerman, plans to do a follow-up rally in the spring.
NOVA SCOTIA
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The inaugural Defund Abortion rally at the Nova Scotia legislature in Halifax drew 60 pro-life taxpayers despite taking place during work/school hours on Thursday October 3rd. Ellen Chesel, President of CLC Nova Scotia was joined by two other female speakers on the steps of the legislative building, right at the entrance used by Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs). They demanded that MLAs stop spending $2-million per year to finance abortions and instead, allocate that money to legitimate medical treatments, or applied to so many areas of health care that have been seriously neglected. “I have a friend whose family had to move because our province wouldn’t pay for her sister’s life-saving medicine. She has a rare disease known as Omithine Transcarbamylase Deficiency which causes a toxic breakdown of the body’s use of protein”, Ellen Chesel related during a compelling speech which provided an example of the type of treatments that should be receiving the public money currently funneled towards abortions. Chesel continued, “Because of financial |
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hardship, the family was forced to move to another province, which covered this drug. I’m sure there are many, many more procedures that our province does not cover. And yet they find the funds to pay for abortions costing us taxpayers $1000 for the killing of an innocent child!”
The defund abortion message was also carried out to the masses through media coverage before and after the rally. Ellen Chesel conducted at least 2 radio interviews to explain the economic drain inherent in forced taxpayer funding of abortion. |
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NEWFOUNDLAND & LABRADOR
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Taxpayers rallied at the House of Assembly in St. John’s to demand withdrawal of public funding from the baby butchery known as elective abortion. This is where Members of the House of Assembly gather and do their work. The province’s inaugural rally was small with only a few dozen pro-life taxpayers, but CLC’s Newfoundland President, Margie Hynes believes it was a good start to a long-term initiative. “Next year we will grow it bigger and better”, promised Hynes. The Newfoundland Rally and its defund message was carried throughout the province to the general public with good coverage by radio, newspaper and CBC TV reports. “Due to the publicity, many more Newfoundlanders now know that our government forces us to pay $1-million dollars per year on abortion, and that this money could instead be put to use where our healthcare system is cash-starved”. A small group of pro-abortion protestors were present with the usual crudeness one expects from those who support violence against children in the womb. One pro-abort taunted the crowd by driving by with her bare bottom hanging out the car window. The inability of the anti-life crowd to engage in serious, thoughtful debate was demonstrated by another anti-life protestor who held a bizarre sign reading, “Outlaw heterosexuality –strike at the source!”. |
ONTARIO
Unlike the other provinces which held rallies at the legislative building, Ontarians took mini-rallies to the “home” of each Member of Provincial Parliament (MPP). More than half the MPPs in Ontario were targeted with mini-rallies at their local constituency office. In 57 out of 106 ridings, local residents demonstrated outside their elected representative’s office, making a strong impression on the MPP, their staff, and the local community. The full list of rally locations is here.
At most locations, the volunteer Team Leader read a speech to the MPP or a designated staff member. The speech outlined the main arguments for delisting elective abortion from OHIP. Ralliers also handed out defund abortion pamphlets to passersby and asked them to sign a defund abortion petition. What several Team Leaders found is that even many people who consider themselves “pro-choice”, disagreed with spending $50 million dollars per year on abortion as a back-up birth control method. The argument being made to all MPPs is that abortion is a drain on our healthcare system and that the $50 million, could hire over 200 family doctors, or 400 nurses. Alternately, that money could be used to purchase 20 MRI machines every year, or treat an additional 500 autistic children who currently languish on waiting lists up to 4 years.
At most MPP offices, the staff was polite and respectfully listened to the concerns of constituents, even inviting them to use the washroom facilities inside the office. However, constituents of MPP Donna Cansfield (Etobicoke Centre) and MPP Michael Chan (Markham-Unionville) were rudely met with locked doors and drawn blinds.
At MPP Donna Cansfield’s office, constituents were shocked to arrive at the office for their scheduled 11am -12noon rally, only to find a piece of paper taped to the door which read, “The office will be closed today from 10:30am – 1:00 due to a community event”. One of the Team Leaders for this event, Bob Shiley, remarked that this closure was remarkably “convenient” for the MPP but promised that a face-to-face meeting will be arranged to ensure the MPP cannot escape the concerns of her constituents.
Concerned taxpayers at MPP Michael Chan’s office in the Markham-Unionville riding were rudely treated to a locked door, drawn blinds and 2 police cruisers called to the event. So much for listening to the voice of the people who elected you, Mr. Chan!
Most of the mini-rallies took place Thursday October 3, but a few were scheduled for Friday October 4 and Saturday October 5th.
These mini-rallies produced a plethora of media coverage from CTV, CBC, Eastlink TV and many local newspapers. Several radio interviews were also conducted in which CLC staff were able to make persuasive arguments for de-insuring abortion. Alissa Golob, CLC’s Defund Abortion Committee Chair, was interviewed twice on London’s CJBK radio station.
Another CLC spokesperson, Jack Fonseca, was interviewed on Newstalk 1010's Jerry Agar radio program which covers the GTA and beyond. Listen to that interview on the right.
The significant media coverage in Ontario will help wake up the sleeping populace to the fact that abortion is paid for with their tax dollars. The increased awareness will help us grow the defund movement across the province so that one day soon, rallies can be conducted at every MPP’s office.
Highlights, photos and media coverage from the Ontario mini-rallies are below. More locations and photos will follow as Team Leaders turn in reports to CLC.
ANCASTER-DUNDAS-FLAMBOROUGH-WESTDALE, MPP TED MCMEEKIN
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At least 15 taxpayer residents rallied at the constituency office of their pro-abortion Liberal MPP. The event was well-attended by families and young children, who shared the defund message with the local community around MPP McMeekin's office. After the rally, a journalist sought comment from McMeekin, who had been at Queen's Park all day. The MPP's response was very strongly in favour of continuing to force taxpayers to finance baby-killing. Constituents will remember this next provincial election. |
BRAMALEA-GORE-MALTON, MPP JAGMEET SINGH (NDP)
Successful", "Powerful", "Effective". These were the words used by our Team Leader, Adriana Reasner, to describe the rally which took place at the office of pro-abortion MPP, Jagmeet Singh. She reported that 23 enthusiastic participants, including many new faces, were energized about the issue.
Adriana said, "Our MPP Jagmeet Singh was not able to attend but a representative from his office did step out and listen to the prepared message."
She also obtained many signatures on CLC's defund abortion petition, a copy of which will be given to Mr. Singh along with a transcript of the speech and a photo of the group that gathered.
BRAMPTON-SPRINGDALE, MPP LINDA JEFFREY (LIB)
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Thirteen determined taxpayers rallied outside the office of Liberal MPP, Linda Jeffries, to protest being forced to open up their wallets to pay for someone else's medically unnecessary abortion.
19-year old university student, Carter Grant, was the Team Leader at this defund abortion rally held October 3rd.
He reported that the MPP was in Queen's Park, but three staff representatives came outside to meet the ralliers and listen to a speech presented by the Team Leader. Carter reported that the MPP's representatives "were attentive and receptive to our message". |
BRANTFORD, MPP DAVE LEVAC (LIB)
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Team Leader Adam Verheyen reported a successful defund rally in which a minimum of 20 taxpayers attended. It took place Saturday October 5. Although the MPP's office was closed, the Team Leader notified MPP Dave Levac of the event. A link to a video recorded speech at the rally (shown right) will also be sent to MPP Levac along with a transcript of the full speech. The local newspaper had been alerted to the event, but did not cover it. Our rookie Team Leader, had never organized any kind of pro-life event before, but found it a rewarding experience. He told CLC, "I was pretty nervous as I've never helped put together anything like this before, but still, it turned out pretty good! If you guys are doing this |
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| campaign again in the future, let me know, I'd love to be a team leader again." | |
BRUCE-GREY-OWEN SOUND, MPP BILL WALKER (PC)
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Team Leader Emily Black reported that 50 people landed on the doorstep of MPP Bill Walker for the defund abortion rally. This was one of the most youthful rallies held across Ontario, with the majority of participants being under the age of 18. Their MPP was at Queen's Park, so the Team Leader asked his secretary to please come out and listen to a short speech on behalf of Mr. Walker. Emily related to CLC her dissapointment that the secretary told her she "was too busy to come out." Too busy to listen to constituents? Isn't that the job of an MPP? The Team Leader also engaged pedestrians in discussion about public funding for elective abortions. After the rally was over, Emily immediately committed to the next phase of the Defund campaign which involves door-to-door pamphleting of the riding with a compelling mailbox stuffer." |
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CAMBRIDGE, MPP ROB LEONE (PC)
About 20 constituents attended the rally.
One participant named Janice reported that: “Rob Leone MPP was not in his office but his Special Assistant (James) listened intently to the letter being read”. This is pictured on the right. Janice continued, “Also, in terms of support, we counted 45 honks (and waves), versus 5 drivers giving us the finger.”
Cambridge participants expressed hope that this campaign is constructive in moving the pro-life mission forward in the days ahead.
CARLETON-MISSISSIPPI MILLS, MPP JACK MACLAREN (PC)
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Chris Murawsky, CLC's Defund Abortion Team Leader in Carleton-Mississippi Mills reported that 10 constituents rallied outside the office of MPP Jack MacLaren. They received several supportive honks from cars driving by and only one middle finger salute. The event was reported on by a national, Catholic newspaper. |
CHATHAM-KENT-ESSEX, MPP RICK NICHOLLS (PC)
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Our volunteer Team Leader reported that 29 constituents were in attendance. Unfortunately, MPP Rick Nicholls was at Queen's Park that day presenting a private members bill. However, his Executive Assistant was very cooperative and spent a good deal of time talking with a couple of young people that were in attendance. It was also agreed that the Team Leader and constituents could arrange a time during the week of Thanksgiving to meet with MPP Nicholls and present petitions in person. The rally also made it to the front page of the local newspaper. |
DON VALLEY WEST, PREMIER KATHLEEEN WYNNE (LIB)
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At the constituency office of Liberal MPP and Premier, Kathleen Wynne, 15 taxpayers rallied, asking for Wynne to delist abortion from OHIP. The Premier's assistants came out onto the sidewalk and listened to a speech that was read by one of the participants. The speech outlined why it is that elective abortion does not merit scarce taxpayer dollars, and why it must be defunded. Rally participants also invited passersby to sign a defund abortion petition which they had ready on a clipboard. |
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Pastor Noel Muscutt, CLC's volunteer Team Leader in Durham, reported that 25-35 people came out to the rally at MPP John O'Toole's constituency office. Mr. O'Toole was at Queen's Park, so a representative came out on his behalf. After the speeches, the ralliers spread out along the sidewalk in front of the MPP's office. The Leader reported that there were lots of very positive signals from passers-by. |
ETOBICOKE CENTRE, MPP DONNA CANSFIELD (LIB)
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Team Leaders reported that 25-30 constituents rallied at their MPP’s office. Participants were young and old, from students to seniors and in between. When they arrived at MPP Donna Cansfield's office however, they were shocked to find a vacant office with a note on the door, as described above. This is rather rude treatment of one's constituents by an MPP, given that Team Leaders had notified Cansfield's office in advance of the rally's date and time. Team Leaders gathered numerous signatures to defund abortion leading up to this rally. The petitions will eventually be presented to MPP Cansfield. View rally photos on the right. |
ETOBICOKE-LAKESHORE – MPP DOUG HOLYDAY (PC)
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Due to being only recently elected on August 1st, Doug Holyday’s constituency office at 700 Kipling Ave was not yet staffed nor open for business. Nonetheless, MPP Holyday's office was notified in advance that constituents would be rallying at his office, urging him to defund elective abortions. Team Leaders also told Mr. Holyday's team that they would subsequently send him a written copy of their request. A speech was video-taped which rally leaders Phil Passarelli and Cecilia Molto will also send to Mr. Holyday. |
ETOBICOKE NORTH – MPP SHAFIQ QAADRI(LIB)
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Approximately 10 taxpayers rallied at the Etobicoke North office of Liberal MPP Shafiq Qaadri on Thursday October 3rd. The concerned taxpayers, young and old, women and men, sent a their elected provincial representative a clear message about the practice of OHIP using tax dollars to finance abortions: "NOT FROM MY WALLET!". A speech was presented to Mr. Qaadri's office and the rally organizer collected roughly 50 signatures from local residents to remove abortion from OHIP coverage. |
HALDIMAND-NORFOLK, MPP TOBY BARRETT (PC)
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About 13 taxpayer residents of Haldimand-Norfolk turned up at the office of long-time MPP, Toby Barrett, for a defund abortion rally on Thursday October 3.
They had a very pleasant meeting with Mr. Toby's assistant and read a speech explaining the argument for defunding elective abortion. |
HALIBURTON-KAWARTHA LAKES-BROCK, MPP LAURIE SCOTT (PC)
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A diverse group of 35 constituents joined this rally to demand that elective abortions are removed from the list of procedures covered by OHIP.
The group included a significant number of teenagers. These youth were also concerned about the ongoing survival of Ontario's healthcare system and believe that we simply can't afford to pay for politically-motivated spending items like abortion.
The MPP's staff politely accepted a letter from the constituents, on behalf of Ms. Scott who was at Queen's Park during the rally. |
HURON-BRUCE, MPP LISA THOMPSON (PC)
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Due to scheduling reasons, this mini-rally in the rural riding of Huron-Bruce took place 2 weeks later than the other 56 Ontario events. On Saturday, October 19th the rally was held at the doorstep of Progressive Conservative MPP Lisa Thompson.
Brenda Sjarda was CLC's volunteer Team Leader for the mini-rally. She is also a local Right To Life leader. Brenda reported "a great turn-out of 40 to 50 constituents considering it was a wet, rainy day" and several other community events were going on at the same time.
A journalist interviewed participants and took photos. The team leader reported that after the rally's official conclusion, many people stayed behind to share thoughts and stories about this important issue. |
KITCHENER CENTRE – MPP JOHN MILLOY (LIB)
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John Milloy is the pro-abortion MPP for Kitchener Centre, and also Liberal House Leader. At least 15 local residents joined in the 1-hour rally at his office. Halfway through the rally, Milloy’s assistant came outside to the group and respectfully listened to a speech by Team Leader Jack Fonseca, outlining the opportunity cost of elective abortion. After laying out a rock-solid case for the delisting of medically unnecessary abortions by OHIP, Fonseca appealed to the MPP: “Mr. Milloy, I realize that you are a strong supporter of a woman’s choice to have an abortionist kill her unborn child, but I hope at least on the issue of how our tax dollars are used, that you will agree with us and you will work toward delisting elective abortion from OHIP." Fonseca continued, "MPP Milloy, politically-motivated spending on medically UN-necessary items like abortion is unsustainable.” The office was on a busy road so the signs were seen by hundreds of drivers passing by. The rally also turned out to be very productive in changing the hearts and minds of several passersby whom the Team Leader engaged in conversation about the issue of forcing taxpayers to finance abortions. Located in front of a public high school, and next to a bus stop frequented by teenagers, Fonseca approached 7 high school students and a few other passersby to sign a petition opposing taxpayer funded abortions. This lead to conversations with each person about how unethical it is to force taxpayers to finance abortion as a back-up birth control method while genuine health care needs suffer for lack of funding. Of the 7 students, 5 ended up agreeing to sign the defund abortion petition. At least 2 students changed their minds about abortion in general, being moved during the discussion from an initial position of supporting abortion-on-demand, to agreeing that choosing abortion as a back-up birth control method, for reasons of lifestyle convenience, is morally wrong. Another woman, |
in her 30’s, initially started shouting at the rally participants somewhat angrily, that their opposition to abortion funding is misguided. She argued that instead, they should focus on promoting birth control as a means of lowering abortion numbers. The Team Leader started a respectful dialogue with her, explaining why the contraceptive mentality is in fact the primary cause of Canada’s high abortion rates. He explained that the true solution is to teach children that sex belongs in a loving, lifelong marriage and is part and parcel of bringing children into the world. After a few minutes, the woman changed her mind and said she agreed with Fonseca. In the end, she also signed the defund abortion petition!
The Waterloo Region Record newspaper wrote a good-sized article about the rally, but carefully left out all the persuasive facts and arguments that were made by the ralliers. It did not make any mention of the dollar amount spent on abortions by OHIP, nor what that money could buy if used on legitimate health care needs. It failed to mention the assertion by participants that abortion is used today for reasons of socio-economic convenience and is not medically necessary. One would almost think that the Record’s newspapers editors were trying to protect the abortion industry from criticism…
KITCHENER-WATERLOO, MPP CATHERINE FIFE (NDP)
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Lukasz Mietus, an 18-year old first year student at the University of Waterloo courageously volunteered as Team Leader for the rally. His brief report is below: “All in all it was a pretty good turnout, we had about 15 people by the halfway point. We handed out a decent amount of Defund Abortion info pamphlets to passersby…. A representative for MPP Catherine Fife came out and listened to the speech, which went over well. Thankfully, we had no aggressive opposition.” This rally had a lot of young adults participate demanding the de-insuring of elective abortion. Rally participants also asked passersby to sign a petition. |
LEEDS-GRENVILLE – MPP STEVE CLARK (PC)
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This marked the second year in a row that a defund abortion rally was held at MPP Steve Clark’s office. As a result of church bulletin announcement and other promotion, 25 constituents were present, some of which had not attended last year’s event. MPP Clark was at Queen’s Park this day, but ralliers presented a 108-signature petition to MPP Clark's staff, which they promised to present to Mr. Clark. CBC TV Kingston ran a story about the rally during its 6 pm evening news report. It This rally was also covered by CBC TV Kingston and given front page coverage by the local newspaper, The Recorder & Times. |
LONDON NORTH CENTRE, MPP DEB MATTHEWS (LIB)
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Sara Thompson was our volunteer leader for this rally at the office of none other than the Liberal Health Minister herself. MPP Deb Matthew is in charge of how money is (mis)spent in the provincial healthcare system. Twenty-three taxpayers from the Minister's riding attended this rally to demand she stop pouring taxpayer money down the abortion drain. Every single pedestrian who walked past the ralliers was invited to sign a defund abortion petition and Sara reports that several did. The petition will eventually be presented to Minister Deb Matthews. |
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MARKHAM-UNIONVILLE, MPP MICHAEL CHAN (LIB)
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As explained above MPP Michael Chan’s staff locked up the doors and windows, refused to meet with constituent, and called the police in an apparent attempt to discourage them. About 36 taxpayers who disagree with paying for abortions were present. Team Leader Dan DiRocco, reported that approximately 2/3 of the pro-life participants were students, an encouraging sign for the future of this provincial initiative. |
MISSISSAUGA-BRAMPTON SOUTH, MPP AMRIT MANGAT (LIB)
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CLC's volunteer Team Leader Natalia Gdula, reported that 10 concerned taxpayers attended the rally.
They voiced their displeasure to MPP Mangat about the fact that OHIP is picking their pickets to pay for someone else's elective abortion.
The Team Leader also collected many signatures on a petition to defund abortion.
Eventually the petitions will be submitted to the MPP along with a request to have them read aloud in the legislature. |
MISSISSAUGA EAST-COOKSVILLE, MPP DIPIKA DAMERLA (LIB)
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At least 13 concerned taxpayers rallied at the constituency office of Liberal MPP Dipika Damerla on Thursday Oct 3, from 11am-noon.
Their message? Not from my wallet! Defund abortion Ms. Dipika! |
NEPEAN-CARLETON, MPP LISA MACLEOD (PC)
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A defund rally was held at the office the Progressive Conservative's Education Critic, Lisa MacLeod on Thursday Oct 3, from 11am-noon.
Fourteen frustrated taxpayers attended the rally to send MPP MacLeod the message that their tax dollars should not be funnelled towards medically unnecessary abortions, whilst genuine areas of healthcare get cash-starved.
This was a very important MPP to target with the defund abortion message. Lisa MacLeod's stock appears to be rising in the PC caucus. She was given the important file of Education and is often put forward by Tim Hudak as a public face for the PC Party. Getting MPP MacLeod onside with defunding elective abortion must remain a key objective for her constituents. |
OAKVILLE, MPP KEVIN FLYNN (LIB)
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Greg Borris, a 19-year old constituent of Kevin Flynne's, volunteered to be CLC's Team Leader for the Oakville defund abortion mini-rally. This was the first time Greg had ever in his life led an event, admitted to being a little nervous before hand. However it went very smoothly and he said it was a rewarding experience. Eighteen constituents and taxpayers of MPP Kevin Flynn rallied outside his office for an hour during this work/school day. Mr. Flynn was not available but a representative, Mr. Alex Wellstead, received the petition and listened to the group's concerns on his behalf. Greg said that many of the concerned taxpayers who joined the rally were spoke about how compelling an argument they heard in the defund abortion |
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| speech, in making the case the OHIP shouldn't funnel cash towards abortion. "One lady even asked for a copy of that speech because it summed up so nicely many of the points she was trying to vocalize", Greg reported | |
OTTAWA-ORLEANS, MPP PHIL MCNEELY (PC)
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Seventeen constituents of Liberal MPP Phil McNeely turned up at the doorstep of his Gloucester office with defund abortion signs in hand.
They demanded he remove elective abortion from the list of procedures covered by OHIP.
CLC's volunteer Team Leader, Sean O'Carroll, commented on the value of having a local rally where the MPP calls home: "Raising awareness and putting a pebble in the MPP's shoe always a success."
MPP McNeely calls himself "pro-life" but paradoxically, also supports forcing taxpayers to finance the deadly procedure which is medically unnecessary and has no business getting public funds.
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OTTAWA WEST-NEPEAN, MPP BOB CHIARELLI (LIB)
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About 2 dozen constituents rallied at the office of Liberal MPP Bob Chiarelli, to defund abortion. The Team Leader reports that 1/3 of participants were under age 25.
Ralliers had a clipboard with a petition and asked passersby to sign it. One lady asked an honest question as to whether participants felt that a poor woman who got pregnant as a result of rape should receive tax dollars to pay an abortionist to kill her unborn child. Our Team Leader was able to respond to that question and explain why even in such a sensitive situation, healthcare tax dollars should not be spent to kill innocent people.
Johanne Brownrigg, CLC's Team Leader, was interviewed on a local radio station and also by a Catholic newspaper reporter. |
PETERBOROUGH, MPP JEFF LEAL (LIB)
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Between 80 - 90 concerned taxpayers attended the defund abortion rally at the office of their MPP, Mr. Jeff Leal. A handful of pro-aborts were also present. It received a lengthy write up in the local newspaper, Peterborough This Week, and was included in the evening newscast for CHEX TV. Paul Morgan, a local pro-life activist, gave a compelling speech to the crowd, part of which was captured on video by the local newspaper and posted on the online version of the article. This was the 2nd year in a row that a defund abortion rally was held at Jeff Leal’s office. |
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SCARBOROUGH CENTRE, MPP BRAD DUGUID(LIB)
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At least 31 constituents attended a defund abortion rally at the office of MPP Brad Duguid.
A diverse mix of young mothers, children and people of all ages sent MPP Duguid the message to stop forced, taxpayer funding of abortion. Even a member of the clergy came along with his flock.
A TV journalist from The Filipino Channel was on-site, conducting interviews that will air on a special segment of the subscriber-based network.
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SCARBOROUGH-GUILDWOOD, MPP MITZIE HUNTER (LIB)
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Neil Abray, our volunteer Team Leader reports that 10 constituents were present for this rally at the office of the recently-elected MPP, Mitzie Hunter.
Although Hunter was in Queen's Park, Neil notified her office staff of their objective in asking MPP Hunter to defund abortion.
The Team Leader also collected signatures on a petition to defund abortion in Ontario, which will be submitted to the MPP at a later date.
This rally was very timely, coming right at the beginning of Mitzie Hunter's career as an MPP. There is no better time than right at the start to begin the task of educating and pressuring an MPP on the issues. The challenge now will be for constituents to keep up regular contact with MPP Hunter on this issue, i.e. every few weeks or months. |
SIMCOE-GREY, MPP JIM WILSON (PC)
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Mary Cudney, our defund abortion Team Leader for Simcoe-Grey reported that a dozen concerned taxpayers joined the rally at MPP Jim Wilson's office.
As PC House Leader, Mr. Wilson had to be at Queen's Park that day, so Mary invited his assistant to come greet the ralliers and listen to a short speech on the MPP's behalf.
Surprisingly, the assistant declined to meet them in person. Mary gave her a printed copy of her speech instead and requested that it be given to Mr. Wilson. A face-to-face meeting at a future date was also scheduled with MPP Wilson.
Mary also collected signatures on a petition to defund abortion in Ontario, which will be submitted to the MPP at a later date. The rally was reported by the local newspaper, The Tecumseh Times. |
SIMCOE NORTH, MPP GARFIELD DUNLOP(PC)
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"We're here at MPP Garfield Dunlop's constituency office in Orillia, to protest the use of our tax dollars to pay for abortion", announced Team Leader Eileen Brown, to kick off the defund abortion mini-rally in her riding.
She continued, "We would like him to introduce a bill to defund abortion".
Twelve taxpayers who feel abused by the government's misuse of their tax dollars turned up at this weekday rally to insist that Mr. Dunlop work towards removing abortion from the list of services insured by OHIP with public money. Eileen reported that the office is on a high traffick road and therefore, the signs had high visibility to drivers.
At one point, the MPP's assistant came outside and received a speech which outlined an airtight case for why elective abortion has no business receiving public funds. One pedestrian who happened to be walking along the sidewalk also stopped to listen.
Eileen informed the MPP's assistant that the group would be back to present petitions to Mr. Dunlop, and asked that he in turn, presents them to the assembled legislature at Queen's Park. |
ST. CATHARINES, MPP JAMES BRADLEY (LIB)
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"This is a good solid campaign which gives a voice to many people who feel there's nothing they can do to effect a change", said Annette Loeffen, the volunteer Team Leader of the defund abortion rally in St. Catharine's held Oct 3rd.
"Response & comments were positive", she added, describing reaction from the 15 participants and other people who passed by.
MPP Bradley was at Queen's park, but a spokesperson for the MPP met ralliers outside and listened politely as a letter was read, then given to them for the MPP.
Personal stories were also shared at the event. |
TIMMINS-JAMES BAY, MPP GILLES BISSON (NDP)
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A young woman named Daniela Yen Chong stepped outside her comfort zone to volunteer as Team Leader for the defund rally at MPP Gilles Bisson's office. Daniela did a fantastic job in promoting the rally and articulating the defund abortion message through the media. She was interviewed twice by the local TV station and a lengthy newspaper article was also published. At the rally, MPP Bisson personally came out to greet the ralliers and hear their demands on defunding elective abortion. Bisson told the participants that although he personally supports a woman's choice to have an abortionist kill the child in her womb, he respects that others have a different view about the sanctity of human life. Bisson also promised to read the defund abortion petition out loud in Queen's Park. The petition signatures will be presented to him at a later date. |
TORONTO CENTRE, MPP GLEN MURRAY (LIB)
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This riding is arguably one of the toughest in the province, owing to its location in the "gay district" of the city which is extremely left-wing on social issues.
For volunteer Nancy Jewers, our rookie Team Leader, this was the first-time she ever organized an event of this sort. In fact, she is a newbie to the pro-life movement and felt called to help out with the defund initiative. Although only a hand full of constituents attended, Nancy said "it was a positive experience".
Nancy's report on the rally: "We held the signs and distributed leaflets. Had some interesting conversations with people. There were a couple of negative reactions from passersby...We got some signatures on the petition. I called Glen Murray's office a few days before and they acknowledged receipt." |
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Nancy gathered 47 signatures as of the time of her report, and will continue to build on that petition which will eventually be presented to MPP Murray.
Nancy said the experience taught her the importance of being respectful and warm toward all people encountered, ESPECIALLY those who disagree or oppose the cause. After the rally was over, Nancy told CLC she wants to stay involved and do more to make a positive difference for this cause. |
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WHITBY-OSHAWA, MPP CHRISTINE ELLIOTT (PC)
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Our volunteer Team Leader for this rally did a bang-up job in organizing one of the largest defund abortion mini-rallies in Ontario held this fall.
There were an estimated 70 concerned taxpayers in attendance, plus 6 small children. The crowd was represented by a wide range of ages, home churches and different parts of the riding.
"For the first time, on a weekday at 11 a.m., I think 70+ people attending was a success!", said Maritza Sialer Tavar, the defund rally Team Leader. Maritza, a first-time CLC event leader, also conducted one of the largest community outreach efforts this fall. |
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She and her team delivered 4,000 defund abortion informational brochures to numerous churches, schools and to the local Knights of Columbus and Catholic Women's League chapters.
The Team Leader described some of the pamphleting drops that were done the day prior to the rally, "We delivered some brochures in [household] mailboxes, at Tim Hortons and also in the stores near the rally location".
Dozens of signatures were also gathered on a petition to defund abortion in Ontario.
MPP Christine Elliott was at Queens Park, but her executive assistant, Mrs. Paula Laycock, came outside to hear the taxpayer concerns. Maritza told CLC that, "The MPP's executive assistant was with us during the speeches and was both receptive and respectful."
A reporter also was present, asking questions and taking pictures. |
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Moving Forward - the next steps
The next steps in moving our taxpayer defense initiative ahead involves 3 main strategies that will be conducted throughout the next 12 months:
#1. Neighborhood pamphleting blitzes
This involves targeting a residential neighbourhood near the office of your elected provincial representative and having a team of volunteers spend 2 hours on a Saturday delivering hundreds or thousands of pamphlets to homes in the area.
This pamphleting blitz reaches outside of the pro-life community to target voters who are likely not pro-life. It aims to wake them up to the economic drain (and human cost) of taxpayer-funded abortion. Owing to the fact that the blitz occurs near the MPP's office, it's almost certain that it will attract the notice of the MPP, which is always a good thing.
The pamphlet is specially-designed to appeal to the general public. It is eye-catching and lays out a strong case that the tax dollars spent on elective abortion represents an opportunity cost for genuine health care needs. View the Ontario version by clicking the image on the left.
#2. Petition campaign
CLC has designed paper and online petitions for each province. We will keep the petitions going throughout the year. When a sufficiently large quantity is amassed in each provincial riding or electoral district, CLC will arrange to have the petitions presented to the MPP, MLA, MNA or MHA by local constituents.
#3. Lobbying your elected member of provincial parliament
Study the talking points on defunding elective abortion. Familiarize yourself with the facts relevant to your province or community. Then make an appointment with your provincial representative with the goal of persuading them to join our effort of delisting abortion. Please send us a report of your meeting afterwards, for our records to [email protected].
With the help of thousands of taxpayers across Canada, in each provincial jurisdiction, we will achieve the goal of ending forced taxpayer funding of abortion.