Press Release
October 11, 2019
Green MLAs call on Premier to immediately fully fund abortion access in New Brunswick
Fredericton – Green Party Leader and MLA for Fredericton-South, David Coon, and Green Health Critic and MLA for Memramcook-Tantramar, Megan Mitton, are urging the Premier and the Minister of Health to immediately fully fund abortion access in New Brunswick, not doing so is in direct violation of the Canada Health Act.
“The fact that the government is refusing to fully fund abortion services is the fundamental reason that Dr. Edgar has been put into the position of having to close Clinic 554,” says Coon. “Without abortion services in that clinic anyone living in western and central New Brunswick will not have appropriate access to reproductive health services and that is illegal. To comply the Canada Health Act the government should fund abortion services at the clinic and failing that, Horizon Health could purchase and operate the clinic to allow these important health services to continue.”
“The status quo in New Brunswick is illegal and unjust, and restricts New Brunswickers’ rights to reproductive healthcare,” says Mitton. “It is not a question of if the Minister needs to fund this clinic and all reproductive health services but a question of when. Quite frankly, New Brunswickers are tired of waiting for reproductive justice.”
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