Federal legislation would require some charities to disclose whether they provide abortion services

The federal government has introduced legislation that would require charities providing reproductive health services to state clearly whether they offer abortion or abortion referrals.

Organizations that fail to clearly tell their clients whether they provide these services could risk losing their charitable status.

Marci Ien, the minister for women and gender equality, said Tuesday the legislation is meant to combat the spread of "misinformation" by some charities.

"People are walking in the doors of pregnancy crisis centres expecting to receive information on all options that are available to them," Ien told a press conference.

"They are met with organizations that are imposing their anti-choice convictions on them."

The new rules would require charities that provide pregnancy counselling to tell clients if they don't provide abortion services, referrals or information about abortion services, birth control or information regarding birth control.

Registered charities are granted certain benefits under the tax system, including the ability to issue tax-exempt donation receipts.

During the 2021 election campaign, the Liberals promised to strip charitable status from anti-abortion organizations that provide what they called "dishonest counselling."

The Liberals have been increasingly vocal on abortion issues in the past few weeks as they attempt to wedge the Conservatives — who have several anti-abortion members of Parliament in their caucus — on the issue at the centre of the U.S. presidential election campaign.