Trost Trashes Oda

 Some additional detail around the Tory Gov's recent decision to re-fund Planned Parenthood International that I don't think  has appeared elsewhere:

Trost said he understands that six staffers in the office of International Cooperation Minister Bev Oda were working on getting IPPF grant money “and one of them decided to leak the story to the CBC.” Trost added, “rather than deny the story, a decision was made to rush funding,” to the abortion organization. A source in the Prime Minister’s Office also told The Interim that the move to fund Planned Parenthood came from Oda’s office and not the PMO.

So Minister Oda takes all the blame among SoCons, but she's in a GTA riding so who cares? 

While You Were Sleeping

The Stephen Harper Torys were gutting the Canadian Federation for Sexual Health, formerly the Planned Parenthood Federation of Canada. Gwen Landolt of REAL Women is well-pleased, and so presumably is Tory MP Brad Trost, who has been trying to eliminate Canada's funding to the International Planned Parenthood Federation. The CFSH is the Canadian member of the IPPF.

Shit! That Brad Trost guy is everywhere.

Update: Interesting timing with this.

Brad The Impaler

When he's not sticking it to his fellow Tories, how does Brad Trost, Conservative Member of Parliament for the riding of Saskatoon—Humboldt, spend his days?

Trying to defund International Planned Parenthood, of course. He's got a petition to the HOC going that would cut their government funding. One thing he's 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 IPP is funded through CIDA (Canadian International Development Agency). That's Bev Oda's department...for now. Keep your head down, Bev.