ST JOHN, NB, Jan 19, 2001 (LSN.ca) – Saint John, New Brunswick Tory MP Elsie Wayne plans to introduce a private member’s bill to prevent the Canada Health Act from being used to fund abortions. Mrs. Wayne is responding to suggestions made in a letter from NB Right to Life executive director Peter Ryan about the current dispute between Ottawa and New Brunswick over the funding of private abortion clinics. Health Minister Allan Rock is pressuring the province to pay for abortion on demand at the Morgentaler Clinic in Fredericton.
In the letter, sent to New Brunswick’s 10 Members of Parliament, Mr. Ryan stated, “we can find no evidence that the Canada Health Act authorizes the federal government to unilaterally define abortion on request as medically necessary. In fact,” he said, “it seems doubtful the federal government is authorized to determine any service as medically necessary without the consent of the provinces.”
Because of the present political confusion over the meaning of the Act, Ryan suggests two amendments be made: (1) Under Section 2 (Definitions), that abortion be added to the list of what is not included as “insured health services.” (2) Under Section 22 (Regulations), Subsection 2 (Agreement of Provinces), that a sentence be added specifying that no regulation may be made with respect to the definition of insured health services except with the agreement of each of the provinces. Such amendments would not prevent the provinces from paying for abortion, Ryan points out. But they would at least prevent the federal government from dictating to the provinces that they must cover abortion, whether at private clinics or elsewhere.
See related LifeSite coverage: https://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2001/jan/010109.html#1 https://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2001/jan/010108.html#1 https://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2001/jan/010110.html#2 https://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2001/jan/010111.html#2 https://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2001/jan/010117.html#3