An anti-abortion group at Carleton University is crying "discrimination" over a proposed change to the student society's discrimination policy.

Katy McIntyre, vice-president of services for the Carleton University Students' Association (CUSA), tabled a motion last week to amend the policy, saying "no CUSA resources, space, recognition or funding be allocated for anti-choice purposes."

Shawn Menard, president of the association, said the motion was a response to complaints from a women's group on campus, who reacted after a student club called Carleton Lifeline organized a debate on campus on whether elective abortion should be legal.

"It's discriminatory to not provide a female with a choice surrounding her body," Menard said.

Elective abortion has been legal in Canada for more than a decade.

Menard added that it's not the first time the association has taken a stand — it has also opposed tuition hikes and racism.

But Sarah Fletcher, the president of Lifeline Carleton, said the motion discriminates against her beliefs and threatens religious clubs on campus.

"There are students at Carleton who do have a pro-life point of view, and those students need to be represented," she said. "We feel it's an infringement on our basic rights."

Debaters baffled

The student council's move has baffled members the Carleton University Debate Society, said Garnett Genius, the society's vice president external.

"We believe strongly in free speech. We think that good ideas win fair debates," he said.

"And we don't really understand why it would be in the student union's or the student body's interests to suppress debate, around particularly … an issue that is so important."

Menard said Carleton students are free to have that debate, but not in CUSA space and not with CUSA money.

The council will vote on the proposal on Dec. 5