A subsidiary of Blue Direct, the company behind the Alberta Abortion Survey

A province-wide survey on the parental rights of minors seeking abortions in Alberta was conducted by a company owned by a Calgary-based conservative communications center, CTV News reports.

The National Public Research Service of Canada (NPRC) identified itself as the organization that conducted the survey, which asked thousands of Albertans whether their parental rights should include parental consent for a minor child seeking an abortion.

The NPRC then released the survey results on Monday.

The NPRC said the vote was not submitted.

When contacted for more information, NPRC said it is a subsidiary of a voter communications firm, but would not name the firm.

After further discussion with the company on Tuesday, the NPRC determined it was one of “several registered operating names belonging to Blue Direct, a Calgary-based conservative-leaning call house that specializes in direct voter communications.”

Information in the corporate register confirms this fact.

The NPRC said in a statement that Blue Direct director Richard Durr also serves as a volunteer executive director of ProLife Alberta.

“Prolife Alberta is a group of women and men dedicated to advancing public policy in Alberta through political means.”

While other polling firms have questioned the methodology, the NPRC says it stands by the poll's findings, which it intended to keep internal.

Durr said questions about the survey's origins and authenticity forced the NPRC to release more information.

The survey found that 52 percent of respondents support both parental notification and consent, while 10 percent said they would prefer to be informed without their consent. An additional 30 percent said neither consent nor notification was required, and nine percent were undecided.

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

Of those invited, 16.2 percent responded to the NPRC survey: a total of 6,047 people.

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

“Anyone who doubts the veracity of the results can put their money where their mouth is and see for themselves: Most Albertans recognize that parental rights should include consent and/or notification if their minor child is to undergo an irreversible surgical procedure. abortion,” the NPRC said in a statement.

In Alberta, consent to an abortion is based on ability, not age. If the doctor or clinic feels that the minor understands the procedure and its risks, the young person can sign a consent form.

According to the most recent statistics available, the Canadian Institute for Health Information says that of the 11,223 total abortions performed in the province in 2021, 226 were among girls 17 and younger.

The poll comes as Alberta Premier Danielle Smith announces changes affecting transgender Albertans, including requiring parental consent for students 15 and younger who want to change their name or names at school.

In an emailed statement Friday, the Alberta government said there are “no further policy considerations” for minors beyond the proposed regulations for transgender youth.