| Right to life not a political football, says League |
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OTTAWA, February 3, 2010 - On February 2, Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff called on Prime Minister Stephen Harper “to assure Canadians that he won’t change Canada’s long-standing tradition of recognizing women’s reproductive rights and access to contraception as part of his maternal health initiative, and will work in full partnership with the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF).” Joanne McGarry, executive director of The Catholic Civil Rights League |
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| League comments on attempt to marginalize faith-based university |
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| TORONTO, ON February 3, 2010 – The Catholic Civil Rights League today commented on news that the Canadian Association of University Teachers (CAUT) has claimed Trinity Western University of Langley BC falls below an accepted standard of academic freedom because it requires faculty to sign a statement of Christian faith as a condition of employment. The CAUT has also placed the school on a list of “institutions found to have imposed a requirement of a commitment to a particular ideolo |
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| Quebec government declares "war" against homophobia |
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| by Douglas Farrow The Québec policy against homophobia was released in December with introductory fanfare from Premier Jean Charest and Justice Minister Kathleen Weil, who is officially “the minister responsible for the fight against homophobia.” It diagrams a full-scale assault, to be coordinated by an inter-departmental committee, against “homophobic attitudes and behaviour patterns” and “sets out the government’s goal of removing all the obstacl |
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| League-honoured Haitian charity needs assistance after quake |
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WINDSOR, Ont. January 14, 2010 – Frank Chauvin, founder of Haiti’s first orphanage for girls and the recipient of the League’s 2009 Archbishop Adam Exner Award for Catholic Excellence in Public Life, will be providing relief aid to victims of the massive earthquake in Haiti January 12.
“The problem is that Haiti has very poor infrastructure at the best of times,” said Mr. Chauvin. “Right now we’re seeing all the news reports of entire buildings cavin |
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| Impact of Parliamentary prorogue on League issues |
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January 8, 2010 (CCRL) - Many questions have been raised about the impact of the parliamentary prorogue on some of the issues on which the League has been working. In general, the delay means that government legislation that had not yet been passed will have to be reintroduced, but private members’ bills will pick up where they left off. Euthanasia Prevention Coalition executive director Alex Schadenberg told Canadian Catholic News that Bloc Quebecois MP Francine Lalonde’s Bi |
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| Faith groups’ hiring rights under the microscope |
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TORONTO, Ont. Dec. 15, 2009 - Arguments begin today in Ontario Divisional Court in the appeal of the decision by the Ontario Human Rights Tribunal against Christian Horizons. The Tribunal ruled against the social service agency in April, 2008, stating that it cannot insist on faith requirements in its hiring, nor require employees to sign agreements attesting to such requirements.
The decision raised significant concerns about the freedom of all religious organizations to require emplo |
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| Alberta free speech case wins on appeal |
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CALGARY, AB., Dec. 4, 2009 (CCRL) - Stephen Boissoin, who last year was fined $5,000 and ordered to desist from any public expression of his views on homosexuality by the Alberta Human Rights Commission, has been successful in his appeal to Alberta Court of Queen’s Bench. In a ruling Dec. 3, Alberta Court of Queen’s Bench Justice E.C. Wilson set aside the Panel’s order against Reverend Boissoin, ruling that he did not violate section 3(1)(b) of the legislation. Ac |
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| Review of Morgentaler appointment refused |
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| TORONTO, Ont. Nov. 27, 2009 – The Catholic Civil Rights League today expressed disappointment with the recent Federal Court decision striking the application of Frank Chauvin for judicial review of the decision awarding the Order of Canada to Henry Morgentaler in 2008. Frank Chauvin, a retired Windsor police detective, was inducted into the Order of Canada in 1987, largely in recognition of his work in the support of underprivileged girls in Haiti. As a member of the Orde |
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| Euthanasia pressures and conscientious freedom |
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OTTAWA, Nov. 17, 2009 (CCRL) – Earlier this month we saw an interesting convergence of stories. On November 3, the Quebec College of Physicians and Surgeons (CMQ), as expected, recommended making euthanasia legal in certain circumstances. Just days earlier, an Environics poll commissioned by Life Canada showed that while most Canadians support some legalization of the practice, they also have significant concerns about its abuse. As these debates unfold, Private Members’ Bill |
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| Calgary students see free speech victory |
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CALGARY, AB Nov. 3, 2009 – The Catholic Civil Rights League is pleased to learn that the Alberta Crown Prosecutors’ Office has decided to stay the trespassing charges against several University of Calgary Campus Pro-Life members. The university had pressed the charges after the students went ahead with a display featuring graphic posters and controversial analogies after being asked to make changes to the exhibit but refusing to do so (League press releases, Feb. 3, 2009).
Accordi |
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| Important message about our Fall development appeal |
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TORONTO, Oct. 27, 2009 - Our Fall development appeal is underway. We need a healthy response from all our supporters, including, we hope, some new supporters, in order to continue functioning at a viable level. The economic downturn of the past year has caused a significant drop in donations. We would like to tell you about our exciting plans for this, our Silver Anniversary year, but frankly our financial situation is making long-range planning difficult.
The League is one of Canada’s |
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| Bill C-384 debated in Parliament |
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OTTAWA, Oct. 6, 2009 (CCRL) – Bill C-384, the private member’s bill that would legalize assisted suicide and euthanasia in certain cases, received its first hour of parliamentary debate on Friday, Oct. 2.
The debate included eight speeches on C-384 with two in favour: Francine Lalonde (BQ), who introduced the bill originally, and Serge Cardin - (BQ). There were six opposed: David Anderson (CPC), Hon John McKay (Lib), Jacques Gourde (CPC), Hon Marlene Jennings (Lib), Joe Comartin |
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