This spring, MP Rod Bruinooge introduced Bill C-510 which proposes to make it a crime to coerce a woman to have an abortion. The law was inspired by Roxanne Fernando, who was brutally murdered for refusing to have an abortion.

ARPA Canada whole-heartedly endorses this legislation both for what it would accomplish in protecting women who desire to safely carry their baby to term and because it is an important first step in encouraging Canada’s Parliament to change the absurd status-quo of having absolutely no laws protecting the unborn at any stage or in any circumstances. You can help change this by engaging the discussion, both with our elected leaders and in our communities.

Go Deeper

To read the text of Bill C-510, click here. To watch the press release by Rod Bruinooge, click play on the video below. Click here for a website devoted exclusively to this bill.

Sadly, this bill has come under fire simply because it mentions abortion. This is a reflection of how entrenched the pro-abortion lobby has become in this nation, and how hesitant the rest of Canada is to challenge them on this. As the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada points out in this good analysis, this legislation reveals that there are three camps in this nation on the abortion issue: pro-life, pro-choice, and pro-abortion. Refusing to support a bill that protects women who want to carry their baby to term reveals the sad pro-abortion motive of many who claim to support choice. Apparently only one choice is worthy of protection – the one that would kill an unborn child.

Proven to be Legally Sound

Some argue that this bill is simply unnecessary, or legally flawed. In answer to these questions and more, read this quality Q&A legal analysis, also produced by the EFC. It responds to the common challenges such as “Why is Bill C-510 necessary if a provision for ‘utterance of threats’ already exists in the Criminal Code?” and “How would one prove or disprove that an act of coercion took place?”

Take Action

1) Pray that this effort would be blessed. Pray for strength for MP Bruinooge and the other MP’s who take much criticism for being pro-life in word and deed.

2) Write your MP and CC Justice Minister Rob Nicholson, Prime Minister Harper, and bill-sponsor and Rod Bruinooge. He is a sample letter you can use:

Dear Honourable Mr./Ms.

There is a noteworthy piece of legislation that has been introduced in Parliament that I would like to draw your attention to and encourage you to support. Bill C-510 (Roxanne’s Law) would make it a crime to coerce a woman to have an abortion. Roxanne’s story is a disturbing glimpse of an all-too-common reality in which women are coerced to have an abortion, even to the point of murder. This legislation would send a clear signal to society that women have the freedom to continue their pregnancy without threat of violence or intimidation.

The fact that this bill pertains to abortion should in no way make it unworthy of Parliament’s support. On the contrary, Canada stands out from every other Western nation in its refusal to come up with legislation relating to abortion. Some have argued that there is no need for this legislation because of the protection that all people have from the Criminal Code. In response to this and other common legal challenges, I urge you to read a quality legal analysis at http://activatecfpl.theefc.ca/storage/Roxanne%27s%20Law%20-%20Legal%20Q%20%20A%202.pdf.

Please go beyond voting in support of this legislation. Do what you can to create a culture in Parliament where important topics like this can be discussed openly, without mean-spirited attacks or endless rhetoric.

Thank you for your service to our nation.

Sincerely,

3) Print of this petition, collect signatures from your family, friends, and church community, and submit it to your MP or Rod Bruinooge (remember that all mail to Parliament is free). If you are bringing it to your MP, please try make an appointment to meet with him or her in the constituency so that you can explain why you believe this is important.

4) Print these post cards and mail them to your MP.

5) Engage your community in this discussion by writing a letter to the editor of your local paper, introducing this bill and calling for its support. Tips for letter writing can be found here.