Pro-life representation in Parliament increased following the April 29 federal election, as Canadians voted to keep the Liberal Party in power and Leader Mark Carney became the latest Catholic prime minister who does not follow Church teaching on abortion.
While Carney identifies as a practising Catholic, he has publicly stated his support for legal abortion and affirmed during the campaign that his faith would not influence what he called “a woman’s right to choose,” which he supports “absolutely, unreservedly.”
For his part, Conservative Leader Poilievre also stated before the election that his party would not introduce legislation to restrict abortion.
In the run-up to the election, Bishop William McGrattan, president of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops, told EWTN News that Carney’s position is symptomatic of the “disconnect” that is seen among many of the country’s politicians who claim to be living according to their faith.
In advance of the election, the bishops’ conference released a statement in which it noted, “There are many issues which we, as Catholics, are called to consider thoroughly when voting. Among them is the fundamental right to life — from conception to natural death. This right is being undermined by the lack of legal protection for the unborn, the ongoing expansion of eligibility for medical assistance in dying (MAiD), and the insufficient access to quality palliative care for those who are suffering at the end of life.”
On the subject of MAiD, Bishop McGrattan told EWTN News correspondent Mark Irons that “we want to make sure that the politicians are aware of the fact that we do not want this to be expanded in terms of eligibility and even to consider repealing some of the laws that they put in place.”
During the campaign, Carney remained largely silent on the subject of assisted suicide, while Poilievre stated that he would neither prevent nor expand access to the practice.
“All these leaders, none of them are willing to champion the right to life,” Matthew Wojciechowski, the vice president of Campaign Life Coalition, told Irons. Wojciechowski said he had been encouraging Catholics to focus on their individual members of Parliament, as some Conservatives do hold pro-life views.
Campaign Life Coalition did have reason to celebrate some results of the 2025 federal election, saying the vote brought an increase in pro-life representation in Parliament and saw every pro-life incumbent re-elected.
“We congratulate and celebrate the 42 pro-life candidates whom we green-lit and who were elected last night,” said Jeff Gunnarson, national president of CLC. “We especially congratulate the six new pro-life MPs who ran excellent campaigns and encourage them to bring the pro-life voice into our country’s hall of power.”
The group criticized what it described as a failure of major party leaders to address the issue of abortion during what it called “the most important [election] in decades.”
“Prime Minister Mark Carney, albeit with a projected minority government, has promised to expand the Liberal Party’s ungodly policies that have turned Canada into a death machine destroying countless victims — not only the preborn but also the sick, elderly, disabled, and others who have been let down by the social system and continue to be killed by euthanasia,” said Gunnarson.
Carney, who declared last month that he “absolutely supports a woman’s right to choose,” pledged during the campaign to maintain permanent taxpayer funding for abortion services domestically and abroad, as well as provide in vitro fertilization subsidies of up to $20,000 per cycle.
The coalition also took aim at Poilievre, accusing him of aligning too closely with Liberal policy on social issues.
Gunnarson said the Conservatives had become “virtually indistinguishable from the Liberals on foundational issues of life, marriage, and family.” He added that Poilievre undermined his own party’s free vote policy on conscience issues by pledging there would be “no laws, rules or regulations passed restricting abortion.”
Jack Fonseca, CLC’s Director of Political Operations, blamed Poilievre’s election defeat — including the loss of his own seat — on campaign messaging that failed to contrast with Liberal positions. “This proves, once again, that trying to appear more pro-abortion and pro-LGBT than the Libs doesn’t win elections for the Conservative Party,” said Fonseca. “Failure to distinguish from the Liberals on moral issues results in electoral failure, every time.”
Gunnarson concluded with a warning: “If Liberal policies usher in a time of chastisement, it is only God rendering to Canada what it deserves for abandoning His moral order — especially His commandment against murder, as it applies to preborn children, the sick, and the elderly. May God have mercy on our country.”
Campaign Life said in a post on X April 30 it will hold a press conference on May 7, a day before the National March for Life in Ottawa “to address the direction of the newly elected Carney Liberal government.” The event will take place one day prior to the annual National March for Life.
The coalition said nearly 160 candidates endorsed by the organization ran in the election, including those representing the Conservative Party of Canada, the People’s Party of Canada, the Christian Heritage Party, and the United Party of Canada.
Campaign Life Coalition is a national non-profit involved in political advocacy for legal and cultural change in support of life and family.
With B.C. Catholic files
