By Thaddeus M. Baklinski
MONTREAL, April 15, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) – While visiting a daycare center with Minister for the Family, Tony Tomassi, Quebec Premier Jean Charest described his province as a “family paradise” and reassured infertile couples that he would live up to his election promise of government funded in vitro fertilization.
“Quebec is recognized as a leader in the world regarding support to families. Our government works so that Quebec remains a paradise for families. We ensure that all parents and children in Quebec can flourish. This is an investment in our collective future,” said the Premier.
The efforts of the Quebec government to encourage a baby boom come in response to the fact that the province has one of the lowest birth rates in the world. In the late 1990s the birth rate hovered at around 1.5 children per woman, far below replacement level. At the same time, Quebec’s rate of abortion, which in Canada is government funded, is significantly higher than the rest of Canada, with 38.3 abortions per 100 live births recorded in 2005, compared to the national average of 30.
In recent years, however, reports have indicated that the birth rate has been slowly climbing, thanks to numerous expensive government incentive programs.
Charest confirmed the introduction in the near future of a bill that would have the Régie de l’assurance maladie du Québec (RAMQ), the provincial taxpayer funded health insurance program, cover the cost of the first two in vitro fertilization treatments for infertile couples.
“It’s always been our commitment,” Mr. Charest assured, and explained that the proposed bill would recognize and give financial support for “this type of insemination” and would also regulate doctors and clinics.
“All this is done according to a schedule that was already planned and on which we will follow through,” he stated.
“The family is the core commitment of our government. With the investments announced in the 2009-2010 budget, Quebec will continue to be among the leaders in supporting families not only in North America but also globally. Quebec has one of the most generous family policies in the world, comparable to that of the United Kingdom, Sweden and Denmark.
“Since 2003, our government has increased family assistance by almost 60%, which now reaches 6.5 billion dollars. Our efforts have borne fruit,” Charest said, after giving details of the newly announced tax breaks for families, especially the increased amounts for subsidized daycare.
Charest noted the increased birth rate in the province last year as well as a decrease in child poverty.
“In Quebec, there were 87,600 births in 2008. Quebec has not experienced any significant period of growth in birth rate since the 1950s. This, combined with the fact that the employment rate among women reached 79% and the number of children living on the threshold of poverty has declined, means we have developed a strong and effective family policy,” said the Premier.
Link to the CNW (French) report: https://www.newswire.ca/fr/releases/archive/March2009/22/c3157.html