Health Canada, the country’s federal health department, has denied the Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network and other HIV groups significant funding by citing a new policy against funding any proposals that may be used for advocacy purposes, The Globe and Mail reports. Health Canada’s current anti-advocacy policy has been in place officially since 2009, and the push to defund advocacy programs has been led by members of Canada’s Conservative Party. Supporters of the policy highlight the fact that nonprofit organizations can have advocacy programs, as long as the programs themselves receive no federal money. But critics say that many organizations may scrap their advocacy programs rather than risk possible retribution via other funding cuts.

To read the Globe article, click here.