Fredericton Morgentaler Clinic Closes Due to Financial Constraints

[cybercoma]

New Brunswick is the only province in Canada that does not fund abortions in private clinics. Yesterday, the Morgentaler Clinic in Fredericton announced that it's closing its doors due to financial problems. The clinic had been performing abortions pro bono for women who could not come up with the $700-850 fee associated with the procedure. In 2008 a massive flood caused damage to many downtown businesses. Many were reimbursed for their repairs. The Morgentaler Clinic was not. Dr. Henry Morgentaler himself paid over $100,000 for the repairs. The director said yesterday that the clinic would have closed then if it wasn't for his contribution.

According to the Canada Health Act, medically necessary services must be funded by the provinces. Every other province sees abortions as medically necessary, since they require immediate attention and must be performed by a doctor. Even Alberta, the most conservative province in the country, funds services the Morgentaler Clinic in Edmonton. New Brunswick does fund abortions, but requires the written approval of 2 physicians and the procedure must be performed by one of two OBGYNs in the province.

The two doctor rule used to be part of the Criminal Code of Canada when Trudeau legalized abortion in 1968. Subsequent court challenges lead to an overturn of this section of the Criminal Code in 1988 in the case of Morgentaler v R. New Brunswick's legislation uses the same two-doctor rule to define medical necessity. Therefore, New Brunswick stands in conflict with the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, as determined by the Supreme Court when they overturned s.251 of the Criminal Code in 1988.

Health Minister Rona Ambrose has a responsibility to insist that New Brunswick get in line with the Canada Health Act or face denial of healthcare transfers from the federal government. This has not happened yet. In the province, David Alward's government insists that abortions are funded and available. However, the restrictions on access make abortion unavailable to many women. Just like the Criminal Code section that was stricken from the books, it takes the decision out of the hands of women and puts it into the hands of an abortion panel of doctors. Doctors who are in short supply in New Brunswick. The family physician waiting list is over 3 years out.

I know not many of you are from New Brunswick, but this is a serious issue in the Maritimes. The Morgentaler Clinic provided services to women from PEI and Nova Scotia as well. PEI does not have a clinic, but would fund abortions for their residents travelling to Fredericton, NB. Today, New Brunswick has taken a step back in time where women did not have timely access to abortions. This does not mean that abortions stop happening. It means that these women will end up harming themselves with home solutions or face going to underground "clinics" that have no insurance of cleanliness or professionalism and also charge black market prices. The government will pay the price in the end as these women end up in the hospital from their injuries.

While this is obviously a provincial issue for all New Brunswickers, it's also a regional issue, limiting access for women from both PEI and Nova Scotia as well. This is a federal issue because it is Rona Ambrose's responsibility to ensure that women from coast-to-coast have the same access to healthcare services that is federally mandated through the Canada Health Act. Dosanjh was working on getting New Brunswick to comply with federal regulations on healthcare before the Conservatives won in 2006. Tony Clement let the issue die when he took over. He said it's, "off the radar." Whether the federal government enforces its rules or not, New Brunswick needs to get its act together and repeal Regulation 84-20 (the 2 doctor rule), since it is identical to a law that was already struck down by the Supreme Court. Every woman deserves timely access to medically necessary healthcare services that support their reproductive rights, giving them completely autonomy over their life and liberty.

[Shady]

Abortions are almost never medically necessary procedures. Regardless, until there's regulation of late term abortions, I hope they all go under. Making money off of the killing of unborn babies is about as low as it gets.

[Big Guy]

Political dogma continues to supersede science and common sense. The "right to choose" includes the right to choose their representatives. I hope the voters of NB remembers that at the next provincial and federal election.

[cybercoma]

Abortions are almost never medically necessary procedures. Regardless, until there's regulation of late term abortions, I hope they all go under. Making money off of the killing of unborn babies is about as low as it gets.

Every province in the country considers them medically necessary. As does the Canada Health Act. So your opinion that they are never medically necessary is not backed by Canadian legislation nor is it backed by the medical associations across the country. If a woman ends up pregnant and does not want to be, then there is no other way to end her pregnancy than through a doctor provided service. If there's no other options, then it is necessary. If it has to be performed by a doctor, then it is medical. There are no two ways about this.

Moreover, your assertion that you hope they all go under shows that you have absolutely no idea what happens when these services aren't available. Abortions don't stop. Women injure themselves with home solutions and infanticide rates go up. It increases the likelihood of child poverty and maternal drug use. All of these things will cost the provincial and federal governments in the end.

All of that aside, it is appalling that you would support any legislation that forces a person to carry something inside their body against their will. Aside from being woefully uninformed on the topic, your opinions are unethical and in direct violation of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

[cybercoma]

More to the point, Shady, your rhetoric is utter nonsense. An embryo is a baby as much as an acorn is a sapling. We've gone on at length about late-term abortions and you've never been able to explain why a woman would have a late term abortion. You've never shown a doctor that would do it. And you've never quantified how many women in Canada have them. Further still, Morgentaler Clinics do not perform late term abortions. Those must be done in a hospital.

I welcome your opposing viewpoint, if you take the time to educate yourself enough to know what the hell you're talking about, instead of responding with completely irrelevant rhetoric that plays on the emotions of those who know little to nothing about the topic.

[guyser]

. Making money off of the killing of unborn babies is about as low as it gets.

IF they did that then they could be charged, but they dont.

Of course your opinion is worth about ...no, less than zero , since the CHA makes the rules.

How dumb that phrase is , "unborn babies"

[Shady]

You guys are on the wrong side of history, and anti-science. To compare a 5 month old unborn baby with a heartbeat, etc, to an acorn is beyond stupidity and ignorance. Abortions are almost never medically necessary. That's why they're referred to as "choice".

[overthere]

Even Alberta, the most conservative province in the country, funds services the Morgentaler Clinic in Edmonton. New Brunswick does fund abortions, but requires the written approval of 2 physicians and the procedure must be performed by one of two OBGYNs in the province.

Since abortion on demand is readily available for decades in Alberta without any of that 2 doctor nonsense, I don't get your assessment of AB as the msot conservative province in Canada.

[overthere]

Where does the Canada Health Act specify that abortions are medically necessary?

I hope it never does mention abortion specifically, because that specificity is exactly what Right to Lifers love to get into court.

Keep it vague.

The Act allows provinces to define what is listed and covered. Provinces can list and delist what services they want more or less, and every probince has different coverage of medical services. They face the risk that they will be penalized for not follwing Ottawas interpretation.

That has kept provinces careful about extra billing, for example..

[left_alberta]

Since abortion on demand is readily available for decades in Alberta without any of that 2 doctor nonsense, I don't get your assessment of AB as the msot conservative province in Canada.

I think he meant that, taking all issues into account, Alberta is overall the most conservative, but that hasn't stopped them from being liberal on the issue of abortion.

[left_alberta]

One thing that should be taken into account on these kinda issues is that Alberta has a relatively high percentage of the population who identify on the census as holding no religion, second only to British Columbia, in fact. So that could possibly balance off the rural bible-belt influence.

[overthere]

I think he meant that, taking all issues into account, Alberta is overall the most conservative, but that hasn't stopped them from being liberal on the issue of abortion.

What issues are those?

Alberta spends megabucks per capita on non conservative issues like public education, public medicine, public infrastructure etc. I would categorize the province as being extremely liberal in action.

Of course, we all need stereotypes to demonize.

[left_alberta]

What issues are those?

Alberta spends megabucks per capita on non conservative issues like public education, public medicine, public infrastructure etc. I would categorize the province as being extremely liberal in action.

Of course, we all need stereotypes to demonize.

Yeah, I don't quite 100% buy the notion that Alberta is this bastion of ultra-conservativism. I think it's based partly on the fallacious assumption that because the Conservative party has been in power for decades, the government must be politically conservatiive. Whereas despite the nomenclature, the Alberta PC party has always been a fairly big tent.

And really, counting Social Credit and the BC Liberals as one group, BC has basically had right-wing one-party rule for roughly 50 of the last 60 plus years.

[cybercoma]

Let's not get dragged into this debating whether Alberta is conservative or not. The public perception is that it's the most conservative province, whether it's true or not. Besides, It has had numerous successive Progressive Conservative governments. So what I'm saying is that David Alward, Premier of New Brunswick, despite being a Progressive Conservative, should have no qualms about paying doctors in his province who work at the Morgentaler Clinic. Alberta, despite having numerous Conservative governments, is far more progressive on this issue than New Brunswick. I was not taking a stab at Alberta. I'm simply trying to illustrate that this is not a partisan issue.

Edited April 11, 2014 by cybercoma

[cybercoma]

There's going to be an estimated 2000 people dropping off coat hangers at the legislature tomorrow.