The Canadian Anti-Hate Network (CAHN) issued a retraction after falsely claiming that Campaign Life Coalition (CLC) was behind a recent poll showing most Albertans favour parental consent for minors to obtain an abortion.Last week, CAHN published a post that claimed “anti-abortion groups Campaign Life Coalition and RightNow” were behind poll results released by National Public Research Canada (NPRC), which asked people their opinion on whether parental consent or notification for minors to get abortions should be required.The firm is linked to Calgary-based Blue Direct. The principal of Blue Direct is Richard Dur, who also is the volunteer executive director of Prolife Alberta.CLC has no connection to Prolife Alberta, but CAHN claimed it might in the report it ran on February 6. In response, CLC’s Director of Communications Pete Baklinski issued a statement to refute CAHN.“As I already told the Network CLC did not commission this poll and was not involved in creating it in any way. We only learned about it after CTV broke the story about the poll on Feb. 5,” wrote Baklinski on Twitter ("X").“CLC put out a press release that same day on our website praising the poll. The press release included a link to the PDF of the poll that we received in an email that same day that originated from the polling company National Public Research Canada.”According to LifeSiteNews, CAHN’s executive director, Evan Balgord, personally apologized to Baklinski and promised a retraction.CAHN's correction read, “A previous version of this story suggested that Campaign Life Coalition posted a report based on the parental right’s poll on or around February 1st, before it was public. We did research, but ultimately misinterpreted, how Google ascribes dates to its search results and made an error on that basis.“To be clear, we have no evidence to suggest that Campaign Life Coalition had any foreknowledge of the poll. This error appeared online for fewer than three hours. We care deeply about journalistic ethics, which is why we are addressing this quickly, comprehensively and transparently. We genuinely apologize for the mistake.”Baklinski drew attention to the retraction on Twitter ("X").“WOAH! The Canadian Anti-Hate Network just issued a HUGE correction and apology for getting the facts wrong in a report about @CampaignLife being involved in an Alberta abortion poll when CLC had nothing to do with it,” wrote Baklinski.“The organization has a big axe to grind against the pro-life movement and its bias blinded it to the facts. Facts matter!”CLC National President Jeff Gunnarson had welcomed the findings of the poll.“While it’s only common sense that parents be involved in every major medical decision of their child, no parent knowing what an abortion is and how it harms their daughter and destroys the life of their grandchild would consent to such evil," he said in a statement.“A consent law would make parents aware of the situation so they can act lovingly to protect both their child and grandchild."Read more: Alberta poll finds strong support to require parental notification and consent for youth abortions
The Canadian Anti-Hate Network (CAHN) issued a retraction after falsely claiming that Campaign Life Coalition (CLC) was behind a recent poll showing most Albertans favour parental consent for minors to obtain an abortion.Last week, CAHN published a post that claimed “anti-abortion groups Campaign Life Coalition and RightNow” were behind poll results released by National Public Research Canada (NPRC), which asked people their opinion on whether parental consent or notification for minors to get abortions should be required.The firm is linked to Calgary-based Blue Direct. The principal of Blue Direct is Richard Dur, who also is the volunteer executive director of Prolife Alberta.CLC has no connection to Prolife Alberta, but CAHN claimed it might in the report it ran on February 6. In response, CLC’s Director of Communications Pete Baklinski issued a statement to refute CAHN.“As I already told the Network CLC did not commission this poll and was not involved in creating it in any way. We only learned about it after CTV broke the story about the poll on Feb. 5,” wrote Baklinski on Twitter ("X").“CLC put out a press release that same day on our website praising the poll. The press release included a link to the PDF of the poll that we received in an email that same day that originated from the polling company National Public Research Canada.”According to LifeSiteNews, CAHN’s executive director, Evan Balgord, personally apologized to Baklinski and promised a retraction.CAHN's correction read, “A previous version of this story suggested that Campaign Life Coalition posted a report based on the parental right’s poll on or around February 1st, before it was public. We did research, but ultimately misinterpreted, how Google ascribes dates to its search results and made an error on that basis.“To be clear, we have no evidence to suggest that Campaign Life Coalition had any foreknowledge of the poll. This error appeared online for fewer than three hours. We care deeply about journalistic ethics, which is why we are addressing this quickly, comprehensively and transparently. We genuinely apologize for the mistake.”Baklinski drew attention to the retraction on Twitter ("X").“WOAH! The Canadian Anti-Hate Network just issued a HUGE correction and apology for getting the facts wrong in a report about @CampaignLife being involved in an Alberta abortion poll when CLC had nothing to do with it,” wrote Baklinski.“The organization has a big axe to grind against the pro-life movement and its bias blinded it to the facts. Facts matter!”CLC National President Jeff Gunnarson had welcomed the findings of the poll.“While it’s only common sense that parents be involved in every major medical decision of their child, no parent knowing what an abortion is and how it harms their daughter and destroys the life of their grandchild would consent to such evil," he said in a statement.“A consent law would make parents aware of the situation so they can act lovingly to protect both their child and grandchild."Read more: Alberta poll finds strong support to require parental notification and consent for youth abortions
