Campaign Life Coalition demands the sacking of Education Minister Laurel Broten: arch foe of religious freedom
Toronto, ON, Oct. 15, 2012 - Campaign Life Coalition is calling for the immediate resignation of Ontario’s Education Minister, Laurel Broten, after a news conference she held October 10th in which she told reporters that Catholic Schools would no longer be permitted to teach that abortion is wrong under Bill 13, the government’s new ‘anti-bullying’ legislation. In that presser she stated: “Bill 13 is about tackling misogyny, taking away a woman’s right to choose could arguably be one of the most misogynistic actions that one could take.”
“We are outraged by the McGuinty government’s frontal assault on religious liberty, and on the constitutional right of Catholic schools in Ontario to teach the Church’s pro-life views,” said Jim Hughes, National President of Campaign Life Coalition (CLC). “We have never before seen a government assault on religious freedom like what Minister Broten is promising. This attack is unprecedented in Canadian history,” added Hughes.
“One can only describe Minister Broten’s threat to ban pro-life teachings in Catholic schools as ‘totalitarian’. There’s no other word for it.” said Mary Ellen Douglas, CLC’s Ontario President and former Ontario Catholic School trustee. “We call upon all Ontario citizens, whether Catholic or not, to rise up and demand the sacking of Minister Laurel Broten, as well as the repeal of Bill 13, lest it remain a lingering threat to our most fundamental freedom,” she added.
Cardinal Thomas Collins, president of Ontario’s Catholic bishops was quick to rebuke Broten’s comments at a packed audience October 11: “Defending the voiceless is our mission,” he said. “Both the constitution and the Education Act make it clear that the Catholic identity of the school must be respected.”
Campaign Life Coalition has created an online petition demanding the firing of Minister Broten, as well as the repeal of Bill 13, The Accepting Schools Act. At the time of this writing, the petition had almost 4,000 signatures and can be viewed here.
About Campaign Life Coalition:
Campaign Life Coalition is a national, non-profit organization involved in political action and advocacy for legal and cultural change in Canada with respect to protecting human life and the family. It is non-partisan and encourages voting based on principles, not party. For more information visit www.campaignlifecoalition.com.
Media Contacts:
Mary Ellen Douglas, CLC National Organizer, Tel: 416-204-9749 ext. 262
Jack Fonseca, CLC Project Manager, Tel: 416-204-9781
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