Hajdu clarifies ‘core mandate’ in jobs grant, but wording stays
OTTAWA • Employment Minister Patty Hajdu is looking to defuse the controversy over the Canada Summer Jobs program, as her office clarifies the terms used in the attestation, and puts in calls to faith-based groups concerned their religious freedom is at stake.
But the application form wording is unchanged, and one group says the attestation remains “unacceptable.”
Groups applying for the Canada Summer Jobs grant are required to attest both the job and the organization’s “core mandate” respect reproductive rights, among other rights. The 2018 application guide says this includes “the right to access safe and legal abortions.”
Hajdu hit the phones Monday, calling the Canadian Council of Christian Charities, the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops, and the United Church of Canada.
“I have reached out to many of the religious leaders across the country ... encouraged them to work with their individual organizations and churches across the country to let them know that this is about the activities of the organization and the job description,” she said Tuesday.
Also Tuesday, the government posted a document called Supplementary Information, and it includes a definition of core mandate: “This is the primary activities undertaken by the organization that reflect the organization’s ongoing services provided to the community. It is not the beliefs of the organization, and it is not the values of the organization.”
It also says “respect” means the activities “do not seek to remove or actively undermine these existing rights.”
The document outlines hypotheticals of organizations who might be applying.
“A faith-based organization with anti-abortion beliefs applies for funding to hire students to serve meals to the homeless ... This organization would be eligible to apply,” it says.
“A summer camp submits an application to hire students as camp counsellors,” says another example. “However, the camp does not welcome LGBTQ2 young people. The camp is not eligible to apply.”
The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops said Monday was the first time it heard from the minister, and the “short telephone call” has not solved the problem.
“The attestation remains unacceptable.”