The lifting of certain restrictions on abortion is sparking bitter debate in the legislature.
Quispamsis Conservative MLA Blaine Higgs says the majority of people cherish life and believe we don’t have the the right to end it because it’s convenient.
“We see that there’s much debate about “this is a divisive issue so we don’t want to talk about it. We don’t want our personal views.”, says Higgs. “We think it’s a political ploy if we are allowed to express our personal views. We feel we can’t have a free vote on issues that are so sensitive.”
Higgs claims right-to-life beliefs aren’t cherished or recognized as worthy of stating in the legislature.
He says in all other aspects of our society we don’t believe in ending life, and the abortion issue should be no different.
Meantime, Liberal Health Minister Victor Boudreau says it’s not like major changes have been made to abortion laws in New Brunswick.
He says the only thing different is the lifting of the two doctor rule, and the procedure no longer has to be performed by a specialist.
“This is not a new service being funded by Medicare or a new procedure being funded by Medicare and I think that’s very important for all the people following this debate to understand,” says Boudreau.
Boudreau says his party simply wants to make sure the proper supports are in place to care for women.
He reiterates says his government has simply removed barriers to reproductive rights.
“One of the barriers we removed is that there had to be two doctors that recommended this procedure,” says Boudreau. “The other barrier that was removed was that it needed to be a specialist that performed this procedure.”
Boudreau says the issue is about women’s rights, and the province needs to make sure that services are provided in a responsible manner – which is why the procedure is limited to hospitals.
