Trost fund

More news off the Conservative turnip truck, this time from Saskatoon. (I added the linkage.)

A petition calling for a stop to federal funding of the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) has been launched by Saskatoon-Humboldt MP Brad Trost.

Trost presented the petition to the House of Commons Monday. IPPF is funded through the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) and, according to Trost's petition, "promotes the establishment of abortion as an international human right and lobbies aggressively to impose permissive abortion laws on developing nations."

The petition says that the government pledged $18 million to the IPPF over four years and that "the IPPF does not support physician's freedom to practice according to their conscience and/or religious beliefs regarding abortion referral."

According to IPPF's website, the federation promotes sexual and reproductive health rights and provides health services for people in six world regions. Its work is focused in five priority areas: Access to services for marginalized groups, education services for adolescents, advocacy campaigns, HIV-AIDS and abortion services.

Trost, a Conservative, did not respond to a request for comment Tuesday.

No, but Trost does talk to some of the people some of the time, doesn't he?

SASKATOON, July 6, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) - The revelation of $400,000 in funding from the federal Conservatives for the recent Toronto Gay Pride parade, which is notorious for its inclusion of full frontal nudity and public sex acts by homosexuals, came as a shock to most social conservatives in the nation. According to Conservative MP Brad Trost, however, the decision to fund the event also came a shock to most of the Conservative caucus, even those inside the Prime Minister's office.

Speaking to LifeSiteNews.com from his riding office in Saskatoon today, the 36-year-old Conservative said, "The pro-life and the pro-family community should know and understand that the tourism funding money that went to the gay pride parade in Toronto was not government policy, was not supported by - I think it's safe to say by a large majority - of the MPs. This was a very isolated decision."

Trost also hinted that Minister Diane Ablonczy, who was responsible for the funding, lost the file as a consequence of the embarrassment to the Party.  Protesting more than once that there was no "official connection," he said, however, "it should be noted that the file has been reassigned to a different Cabinet Minister since that announcement was made."  He added, "The whole tourism program and funding for major tourism events is being reviewed."

I thought his name sounded familiar.

Bene Diction has more on Trost. So does BigCityLib.

One thing (Trost) is pissed off about:

The IPPF does not support physicians' freedom to practice according to their conscience and/or religious beliefs regarding abortion referral.

Note we're talking abortion referral here, not abortion per se. Brad thinks Christian docs should be able to refuse to even tell women seeking abortions where they might get one. IPP's declaration on the matter reads:

5.3 Health care professionals have the right to conscientious objection with regard to providing contraception and abortion services only if they can refer the client to health professionals willing to provide the service immediately. No such right exists in emergency cases where lives are at risk.

But that ain't good enough for Brad.

Note that IPPF also helps prevent maternal deaths, as well as the spread of AIDS. It educates and it  provides contraception.

It does not ''lobby aggressively'' for abortion. It saves women's lives, and guards against their other children from being orphaned.

All just the sorts of things these (anti-)social conjobs hate, especially when it comes to helping women.

Needless to say, the usual suspects think Trost is a hero.

And he does talk to them:

He has circulated a similar petition "on a low-key level" by word-of-mouth since the March for Life in May, but has redrafted it and posted it to his website.  He has already presented these petitions in the House of Commons a few times, but is now stepping up his efforts.

He raised the issue informally, he says, as have others, but "got a brush off."  "I then started ... to roll this out so that people would realize and understand that the federal government ... funds Planned Parenthood International," he told LifeSiteNews.com, "and I find that disturbing and would like to have the money rerouted to something else."

<SNIP>

In Trost's opinion, the government has continued funding IPPF because of "inertia."  "The bureaucracy's done it before and no one wants to rock the boat," he explained.  "So at the end of the day, don't make any waves. ... I'm encouraging people to let their voice be spoken so that the unelected government, i.e. the bureaucrats in CIDA who support Planned Parenthood, don't get to dictate where people's tax dollars go."

He is encouraging people to write the Prime Minister and CIDA's Minister, Bev Oda.  He would like those who write "not only to oppose it because abortion is wrong, period, but also because there's other better ways to spend ... Canadian international development aid money."

"Write or encourage the Minister and CIDA to spend money on other things - vaccination programs, well-water programs," he said.  "There's other much better things this could be spent on."

You mean like the H1N1 vaccination program the Cons screwed up?

God help us -- and the women in the poorest parts of the world -- if these people win a majority.

UPPITY WOMAN DATE: Pale and I are on the same page, as usual.

See, what that means to me, is that the IPPF does not allow physicians to impose their own beliefs on anyone else. It does not mean that Doctor's are being forced to perform abortions. It means, that they may just have to pass it on to another Doctor or another clinic that does offer true reproductive choice. It is not like the IPFF would actually be working with anyone who doesn't believe in all women's right to choose. Seriously, just pull a non existent situation out of the air!

How difficult is all that to comprehend?

Well, yes....Brad is a Harper conservative so comprehension skills will be limited. He's originally an exploration and mining geophysicist (Our science and technology minister is an Evangelist Chiropractor). I would not be surprised if Steve would put a failed psychic in charge of the finance file. Oops. Wait. He did. My bad.

UPPER CRUST DATE: Couldn't have said this better myself.

Saskatoon MP Brad Trost is unfit for public office and frankly he's a threat to human rights, freedoms and civil society. Saskatoon-Humbolt voters, what the f&$# exactly are you doing electing this guy? Are you crazy? Or ignorant? Or assholes? Or all three? Please seek professional help, all of you. And next time you have the chance, vote this guy out. I'll be watching you.

(H/T Accidental Deliberations)

Comments

[...pat.]

I find it disturbing that the federal government... funds Brad Trost (hey, he takes home a darned good paycheque from them). Anybody know who the NDP candidate is/will be in that riding? Are we permitted to contribute to a campaign in a different federal riding?
Might be time to start considering doing things like that.
What is the maximum a person can donate to candidates in a federal election? Is it different with riding associations?

[The Stygian and his Shemitish Dogs]

Esteemed and Beautiful Moderator,

A Conservative majority would be proof that God IS helping us

[CanNurse]

Thanks, Antonia! Trost as my MP, sadly, does not work to respond to his constituents general & everyday concerns. He works to vote the party line, against gay marriage & equal rights, against women's issues - largely reproductive rights. Our experience has been that he treats his constituents with disdain, UNLESS they go to his fundamentalist church and believe in the same things he does.
I love the new term he & the anti-abortion crowd are now using, which I first read on his petition. It's not "abortion" or "pro-choice" now - it's "DEPOPULATION"! Where do they come up with these things? Of course, we have not seen Brad enthusiastically lobbying for any bills supporting children, children's services, anti-poverty measures for kids, etc. etc. etc. He wants all "babies" to be born, regardless of the mother's circumstances, but he doesn't show any indications of being the least bit interested in them AFTER they're born. Perhaps because they haven't been "born again", which is an essential ingredient of having Brad's support.

[The Stygian and his Shemitish Dogs]

"Are we permitted to contribute to a campaign in a different federal riding?"

Pat Pet,

Apparently you can. Elizabeth May does generate that sort of response. During the last election there was a spike of contributions from London to Central Nova, from people who had seen Elizabeth May close up, and didn't want to see her in Parliament at all. So you could direct contributions to the NDP in Saskatoon-Humboldt.

[Jim M]

The YouTube video that follows does a better job than I could of commenting on this post. In my opinion, it also raises a penetrating question for Brad Trost -- and the whole pro-life movement. Question being, why do Brad Trost and the pro-life movement believe God needs them to protect unborn children when the Gospel of Matthew 3:9 says:

"I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham."

Since it is my understanding that Brad Trost calls himself a Christian, I also have to wonder why it seems like he is asking for the head of John The Baptist, just the same as some people used to 'elect' to take care of things in the olden' days (...as in b.c. era).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xc1Tr_XhjdI