Correcting misinformation is more important than politics

As most of us enjoyed a peaceful summer, reproductive rights in Alberta proved to be an ongoing issue. In July, Prolife Alberta began to spread the false claim that late-term abortions are a frequent occurrence in Alberta. What doesn’t help is that the province has surrendered any responsibility to respond to these allegations. Such responses, or lack thereof, are harmful to the general public. It will only cause misinformation to fester and create divides amongst Albertans. The provincial government’s responsibility to keep its population informed should outweigh its fear of upsetting a small subset of its potential supporters.

Prolife Alberta’s claim that “fully born babies [are] being left to die” has sparked fear and anger. This statement does not describe the vast majority of abortions and contributes to an atmosphere of fear and confusion. Prolife Alberta’s mandate is to help “both the mother and her baby.” How is spreading misinformation helping anyone?

Misinformation creates stigma against those who need abortions and against the medical professionals who provide abortions. Unfounded resentment can lead to violence, as seen in the United States (U.S.) after its Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June 2022. The 2023 report released by the National Abortion Federation (NAF) found an increase in violence against abortion clinics. The last thing we need is for similar acts of violence to spread to Alberta. 

Not only is the group circulating this claim, but Richard Dur, volunteer executive director of Prolife Alberta, claims that “Alberta has no laws regulating abortions.”  In Alberta, people can only have an abortion in the first 20 weeks — as confirmed by the Alberta Health Services (AHS) — unless there are medical complications. Even with the 20 week limit, the majority of the abortions occur within the first trimester. There is not a single province in Canada that offers abortions after 25 weeks.

There are policies regulating abortion, though not enshrined in law. Even if those policies go against Dur’s beliefs, that doesn’t justify the spread of misinformation. It is even more disappointing knowing the Minister of Health Adriana LaGrange refused to make any comments. When misinformation about medical procedures is circulating, LaGrange should be the first to correct it, regardless of any personal beliefs she may hold. It doesn’t make it better when you learn that she has ties to pro-life groups such as the Wilberforce Project. Not correcting such misinformation raises concerns of whether her job and duties as the minister of health come second to her personal beliefs and opinions.

The silence makes it seem that the Government of Alberta’s priorities are to appease pro-life supporters, which is harmful to those who are at the other side of this ill-informed claim. Smith has reaffirmed the government’s support of a woman’s right to choose. Yet, when it comes to instances that directly affect Albertans and health practitioners, it remains silent. Misinformation has widened the gap between pro-choice and pro-life Albertans. Allowing misinformation to spread only gives rise to increased polarization, harmful rhetoric, and possible violence. 

With only silence and past statements to go off of, the lack of response brings the Government of Alberta’s transparency into question. It only creates a relationship of distrust between the government and its population. There are much better ways to address a situation than simply not addressing it at all. 

CORRECTION: This article was updated on September 23 at 12:21 p.m. to reflect that there are policies instead of laws regulating abortions in Canada. The Gateway truly regrets this error.