FREDERICTON, April 28, 2005 (LifeSiteNews.com) – New Brunswick remains deadlocked with the federal Liberal Government over funding of abortions at private clinics. While the province will pay for abortions at hospitals after two doctors approve the procedure, the province is under pressure by both the federal government and a lawsuit by abortionist Henry Morgentaler to fund Morgentaler’s private Fredericton abortuary that offers abortion on demand.
Yesterday the provincial Department of Health and Wellness received a letter from the federal government initiating an official dispute avoidance resolution process to attempt to settle the issue. However, if things don’t go the way the Liberal government insists, there will be “consequences.” Public Health Minister Carolyn Bennett, who was in Fredericton on Tuesday is quoted in the Daily Gleaner saying, “There will have to be the consequences.” Speaking of her commitment to abortion and that of the federal Health Minster, she said. “Minister Dosanjh and I have talked about it and it’s of huge importance to me.”
While railing against Conservatives for suggesting private health care, federal Health Minister Ujjal Dosanjh is nonetheless pushing the province to fund the private abortuary. The contradiction is not lost on New Brunswick Health Minister Elvy Robichaud. “The funny thing though about Mr. Dosanjh is, on one hand he’s trying to argue about health services being provided through a public system and what I understand is he’s advocating for New Brunswick to provide health services to private clinics,” Robichaud said when the issue was raised earlier this year.
The hypocritical push by the federal Health Minister to force funding of private abortion clinics comes as no surprise to leaders in the pro-life movement. Aidan Reid, National Director of Public Affairs for Campaign Life Coalition, recalled Dosanjh’s activist public record as Premier of British Columbia prior to his becoming federal Health Minister. Reid told LifeSiteNews.com, “Ujjal Dosanjh was the most radically pro-abortion Premier that BC has ever seen, he continues that ugly legacy as Canada’s Health Minister.”
Betty Green of the Vancouver Right to Life Society also recalls Dosanjh’s pro-abortion antics as Premier, which included secret meetings with pro-abortion leaders to discuss strategy on increasing funding and eliminating pro-life protests. Green also recalled that Dosanjh’s wife was also a mover and shaker in the push for abortion on demand in the province.
Public Health Minister Carolyn Bennett is also no stranger to pro-lifers. In addition to being a staunch pro-abortion activist, Bennett was one of the sponsors of a bill to legalize gay ‘marriage’ as early as 2001. Bennett showed her activist colours in New Brunswick as she justified the abortion push saying, “Women have been seeking abortions as long as they have been getting pregnant.” The comment prompted laughter among several pro-lifers, but Green took issue with Bennett’s claim to speak for all women. Green told LifeSiteNews.com that Bennet has “no authority to be speaking for me” or for the thousands of women across Canada who know abortion to be murder.
Green questioned how Bennett could know that “women have been seeking abortions as long as they have been getting pregnant”. Green quipped, “How would she know – how old is she anyways?”