Churches must be pro-choice for federal grant
Summer job form asks to accept ‘core mandate’
LONDON, ONT. • Canada’s employment minister says churches and other religious groups are eligible for a federal grant to hire summer students only as long as their core mandate agrees with access to abortion.
However, it remains unclear what exactly counts as a core mandate.
The new attestation on the Canada Summer Jobs grant was aimed at antiabortion groups, but Catholic, evangelical and other religious organizations are arguing it’s unprecedented, unfair and possibly illegal to be forced to attest to their views on abortion while applying. They also worry this attestation will start being required for other government grants and programs.
Speaking at a cabinet retreat in London, Ont., Employment Minister Patty Hajdu said she’s comfortable with the attestation, which requires applicants to check a box saying they have a core mandate that respects “reproductive rights.” The online application can’t be submitted unless the box is checked.
“In terms of church groups that are concerned that this may invalidate them from funding, in fact, my perspective is that it won’t, as long as their core mandate agrees with those hard won rights and freedoms that Canadians expect us to stand up for,” she said.
Her office is aiming to draw a distinction based on the phrase “core mandate,” and says there’s a difference between a group founded solely to oppose abortions and a religious group that happens to hold pro-life beliefs. Yet the application process still means all groups must sign the attestation.
“We think this is a fair process,” Hadju said. She said many faith groups are fine with checking the box because “their core mandate is actually, for example, administering the word of God, or administering spiritual guidance for people … These are the kinds of things that, if you look at the core mandates of faith groups, that they talk about.”
Pressed on how her ministry decides what a core mandate of a church is, Hajdu said the government is simply declaring its own values and it’s up to churches to decide if their core mandate allows them to sign the attestation.
“We’re working very closely, as I said, with faith groups to make sure that they understand that as long as their core mandate is not in violation of Canadian human rights and the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and it’s not violating a woman’s ultimate right to control her own body, that they should have absolutely no problem receiving grant money, provided they, you know, fill out the application properly,” she said.
But groups opposing the attestation point out the Charter also protects freedom of expression, freedom of conscience and religion, and freedom to be treated equally under the law. A Toronto anti- abortion group has already filed a Federal Court case arguing their Charter rights are being violated by this attestation.
The summer jobs grant now funds about 70,000 placements for students, and has been heavily relied upon by religious groups who run summer camps, daycares, drop- in centres and other programs.
The Evangelical Fellowship of Canada and the Canadian Council for Christian Charities both say they’ve been inundated with complaints, and have each set up dedicated web pages as a resource for groups who don’t feel they can apply or aren’t sure what the attestation means. Some groups are sending in paper applications with their own attestation, rather than check off the box.
The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops on Thursday said the attestation “seriously undermines the right to religious freedom since the Government of Canada is directly limiting the right of religious traditions to hold, teach and practise their principles and values in public.”
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau brought up the controversy during a town hall event in Hamilton on Wednesday, saying faith- based groups should still apply for the grant.