In her fourth and ultimately final term in the House of Commons, MP Cathay Wagantall has vowed to keep fighting for her Christian and culture of life convictions during her remaining time on Parliament Hill.

One of the respected parliamentary allies of the pro-life movement, Wagantall recently announced this term iwill be her last. The popular representative, who captured 77.55 per cent of the vote share in the 2025 federal election for the Yorkton-Melville riding, said she will stay true to her convictions, and that will include championing a House of Commons electronic petition drive (e-6586) initiated by Tsz Lok Chan to reject recommendations 429 and 430 from the Standing Committee on Finance’s 2025 pre-budget consultations.

Recommendation 429 proposes revoking the charitable status of pro-life organizations, while Recommendation 430 would repeal the non-profit status of religious charities.

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Chan’s online public appeal garnered 38,942 signatures between June 16 and Aug. 15. The Saskatoon resident stated in his petition that “faith-based charities provide vital services to society” and “these communities promote hope, belonging, social cohesion and compassion, benefiting both their members and the broader public.”

Wagantall also accentuated the value of these entities in her official statement of support.

“Whether or not you belong to a faith community, these groups contribute immensely to Canadian society,” said Wagantall. “For the Liberals to target their charitable status simply because it does not agree with their faith traditions will effectively terminate their important work, including food banks, mental health outreach and support for seniors, youth, families and newcomers.”

In an interview with The Catholic Register, Wagantall said “I wish I could say it was a shock” when asked about her initial reaction to the news breaking last December about the two controversial recommendations.

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“Those of us who are involved in the realm of Christian faith and providing services to people and outreach, and probably many involved in pro-life action, have heard rumblings about this for a long, long time,” said Wagantall. “And of course, this government has been desperate for funds because they are obviously not managing Canadian tax dollars well.”

After the House of Commons reconvenes on Sept. 15, Wagantall will be granted an opportunity in the days afterwards to table and present Chan’s petition. The appeal is then sent to the Privy Council Office for review. The government is tasked with tabling a response to e-petition 6586 within 45 days of Wagantall’s presentation.

Recently retired Conservative Senator Don Plett recently weighed in on the prospects of the two recommendations becoming law. He suggested to Steinbachonline.com on Aug. 21 that Prime Minister Mark Carney could be dissuaded from signing off because of his professed Catholic faith.

"The Catholic Church carries a pretty big stick, and they are very, very upset about this; they have done a lot of work already, as have the Evangelicals," Plett said. "I think the Catholic Church would be able to have a fair bit of influence on our present Prime Minister."

Indeed, as Plett pointed out, the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) has mobilized on this issue. The CCCB’s Permanent Council sent a letter to Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne of the impactful economic footprint of faith-based charities on Canadian society, declaring that 40 per cent of all charitable organizations are faith-based.

“The cost of replacing the services offered by faith congregations in Canada is $16.5 billion,” wrote the bishops. “Simply put, places of worship provide benefits to society that radiate far beyond their congregations." For “every dollar that a congregation spends, the local community receives an average of $3.39 in economic benefit.”

The CCCB also expressed a “desire to work with the federal government to preserve the integrity and effectiveness of Canada’s entire charitable sector.”

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Chan’s petition also emphasizes the need to safeguard the uprightness of the benevolent branch. He wrote that “singling out or excluding faith-based charities from the charitable sector based on religious belief undermines the diversity and pluralism foundational to Canadian society.”

Wagantall said the Conservatives, whose leader Pierre Poilievre will return to Parliament following his by-election victory in the Battle River-Crowfoot riding on Aug. 18, will advance the message that the current government is “showing really a lack of respect for the heritage of our nation.” She said that it is having an “impact in a negative way against the law, the rights and privileges of other Canadians.”