FREDERICTON, New Brunswick (LifeSiteNews) — New Brunswick’s newly elected Liberal government repealed the provincial ban on funding abortions outside hospitals.
On November 7, New Brunswick Liberal Premier Susan Holt announced changes to Regulation 84-20 to use taxpayer dollars under Medicare to fund surgical abortions performed outside hospitals.
“Our government committed to moving quickly on several files, including removing barriers to accessing abortion services,” Holt said. “While we recognize that this alone cannot immediately create more access to abortion, it is an important first step.”
Under the previous law, surgical abortions were only performed at three hospitals: Chaleur Regional Hospital, Moncton Hospital and the Dr. Georges-L.-Dumont University Hospital Centre.
However, drugs to induce medical abortions, which made up most of the abortions in the province, were widely available and free.
Now, abortions can be performed by smaller medical clinics, as the government works with stakeholders, including the New Brunswick Medical Society and regional health authorities, to push the new policy.
Additionally, according to CBC News, local abortion activists are suggesting reopening New Brunswick’s only private abortion facility. Clinic 554 was shut down last year.
Clinic 554 was the original site of the former Morgentaler Clinic that opened in 1994. According to Campaign Life Coalition (CLC), its closing came on the heels of its successful 40 Days for Life campaign event last fall that saw many pro-life volunteers pray and fast in front of the clinic that it would shut down.
The clinic had operated since 2015 without the monetary backing of the province. Citing financial issues, the abortion center was sold a few years ago but remained in operation. In 2019, medical director Dr. Adrian Edgar had said it would eventually be forced to close.
In January, Edgar blamed the closure of Clinic 554 on the provincial government of New Brunswick’s refusal to provide funding and also for rent increases. Clinic 554 had been providing abortions for free but had been open only one day a week before closing.
Now, Edgar revealed he may reopen the private abortion mill but in a different location.
“I would definitely become a provider again,” Edgar said. “It really opens doors up.”
CLC’s Jack Fonseca told LifeSiteNews that the policy change is the beginning of a “culture of death and depravity” in New Brunswick.
“Abortion is murder,” he declared. “It can never be considered ‘health care’ by thinking persons because pregnancy is not an illness, injury or disease. That’s just a euphemism to cover up the crime of in-utero baby murder, and to assuage the consciences of those who participate in this moral crime, or who promote it, like Susan Holt.”
“The repeal of regulation 84-20 means that New Brunswick taxpayers will now be expected to send their hard-earned tax dollars to for-profit abortion businesses,” Fonseca added.
“Even worse, we now discover that the much-vaunted new community health centres, which were the centerpiece of Holt’s election campaign, will all function as abortion killing centres,” he continued.” Voters thought the Liberal Party was promising to fix the doctor and nurse shortages. Not so much, it turns out. If these community clinics ever get built, it seems Holt’s primary focus will be to expand the number of abortions committed.”
“I found it surreal to watch Susan Holt in the press conference announcing the pro-abortion policy change,” Fonseca revealed. “To watch adults literally celebrate with utter joy the advancement of child killing in their province, as if it were something to be proud of, was a disturbing sight.”
The Liberals’ promotion of abortion comes after data revealed that abortion has killed over four million preborn babies in Canada since its legalization in 1969, which is roughly equivalent to the total population of the province of Alberta.