Questions raised over survey on parental consent for abortions in Alberta

Alberta's provincial flag flies in Ottawa on June 30, 2020. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld)

UPDATE: NPRC, who conducted the survey, belongs to Blue Direct, a Calgary-based, conservative-oriented calling house. Richard Dur, the principal of Blue Direct, also serves as the volunteer executive director of ProLife Alberta. CLICK HERE to read an updated article. 

The company behind a new poll on parental rights in Alberta for minors seeking abortions is refusing to disclose information about itself, casting doubt on the veracity of the survey.

A phone survey was conducted last week, asking Albertans if minors should need parental consent to get an abortion.

National Public Research Canada (NPRC) identified itself as behind the poll, then released the results of the robocall survey on Monday, saying it includes "valuable insights into public opinions on this critical issue."

NPRC says the polling was not commissioned.

When contacted for further information about the poll via email, NPRC said it is a subsidiary of a voter contact firm, but wouldn't name the firm.

"As a subsidiary, the information we collect is not typically intended for public consumption. Our main objective is to provide accurate data, serving as a reliable basis for advising - privately - our clients in government, business, and (non-profit organizations)," said a statement.

NPRC does not have a website and CTV News has been unable to get a representative to disclose where its offices are located.

A spokesperson would only say they "operate across the country" and have for many years, adding the company is registered in Canada, but CTV News cannot find a registration.

Two reputable pollsters say they haven't heard of the company.

NPRC says Interactive Voice Response technology was used to call 37,300 Albertans on Feb.1.

Of those called, NPRC says 16.2 per cent responded to the poll: 6,047 people in total.

NPRC says Albertans who received the robocall were asked, "Should parental rights include parental consent for a minor child seeking an abortion?"

NPRC says 52 per cent of respondents indicated they supported both parental notification and consent, while 10 per cent said they'd like to be notified without having their consent required, an additional 30 per cent said neither consent nor notification should be required, while nine per cent were undecided.

According to NPRC, results were weighed by age and gender based on the region in the province and the poll carries an overall margin of error of +/- 2.1 percentage points.

In Alberta, consent for abortion is based on capacity, not age. If a physician or clinic feels a minor understands the procedure and its risks, that young person can sign their own consent form.

According to the most recent statistics available, the Canadian Institute for Health Information says there were 226 abortions among girls aged 17 or younger in 2021 out of 11,223 abortions performed overall in the province that year.

The poll was conducted as Alberta Premier Danielle Smith announced a raft of changes affecting transgender Albertans, including requiring parental consent for students 15 and under who want to change their names or pronouns at school.

Sarah Zagoda was at home on Thursday night when she received the call. She said she is very concerned about the motive behind the survey.

“Pure shock, disgust, anger, fear,” Zagoda said.

“I can't believe that they're polling on this the day after such a heavy announcement was made by the government.”

The questions asked in the call also has Alberta reproductive rights advocates concerned.

“It frightens me because I assume it may be the next step and this government's attempts to assert certain parental rights and prescribe children's rights,” Betsy Jameson, a professor emeritus of history at the University of Calgary and human rights advocate, said.

“I think this is a very dangerous road to go down. And I'm frightened that it's been tested.”

Alissa Golob, the executive director of RightNow, an anti-abortion political organization, said she thinks it makes sense to discuss parental consent for abortion alongside the proposed rules for transgender youth.

“I think that it's just logically consistent to ask people where they stand on parental rights when it comes to abortion,” Golob said.

“Like if the current parental rights legislation says that a minor can have irreversible medical procedure without parental consent, then abortion should logically fall under that category.”

In an emailed statement Friday, the Government of Alberta said "there are no further policies being considered" regarding minors in addition to the proposed rules for transgender youth.