Canada Family Action Coalition

The Canada Family Action Coalition (CFAC) is a social conservative organization that actively promotes an anti-choice, anti-same sex marriage agendas. Sandy Rios, then President of Concerned Women for America, recommended in 2003 radio show that Canadians interested in opposing same sex marriage enlist with CFAC.[1] CFAC also has close ties with Focus on the Family Canada, including joining forces with that organization as part of the Coalition for Family Autonomy (CFA), a group of “pro-family” organizations which joined forces to advocate on behalf of parents right to spank their children.[2]

Based in Calgary and founded in 1979, CFAC seeks to promote a Bible-based society by equipping “citizens to take back their rightful place as part of the decision-making process of our courts, tribunals, legislatures and Parliament.”[3] It concentrates its efforts on grassroots organization in order to provide training, tools, strategy and networking opportunities to permit Canadians to influence their government.[4] CFAC’s founder and President, Dr. Charles McVety, is also President of the Canadian Christian College.[5] Dr. McVety strongly supported the provincial Tory leadership bid of Jim Flaherty, Conservative Candidate for Whitby-Oshawa[6] because the College “liked his Catholic-based social conservative values.”[7]

CFAC has taken its political activism to a higher level in this election. On November 29^th, 2005 it organized a seminar in partnership with the Institute for Canadian Values at which Ralph Reed, a “senior advisor to President George W. Bush’s election campaign,” counselled attendees on strategy for the current election.[8] Previously, Mr. Reed has counselled social conservatives to practice “stealth politics” and “fool voters” by “hid[ing], or disguis[ing], their religious agenda by promoting popular issues such as tax reform.”[9]  Dr. McVety highly praised Mr. Reed just weeks before he came to Canada, writing that Mr. Reed “has motivated millions of Americans to participate in the election of their leaders and has taught millions how to mobilize others based on sound middle class, common sense moral principles, and solid organizations.”[10] Conservative candidates in attendance included Tim Dobson, Conservative Candidate for Pickering-Scarborough East,[11] John Carmichael, Conservative Candidate, Don Valley West,[12] Michael Mostyn, Conservative Candidate for York Centre,[13] Rondo Thomas and Jim Flaherty.[14]

At the seminar, Mr. Reed passed along “tips on how to win the election,” and explained the philosophical approach that should motivate the audience’s activities: “We're not trying to change a church into a political party, and we're not trying to change a political party into a church, but if the people of the church don't get involved, somebody else will.”