Observers said that Ontario Health Minister Murray Elston deliberately buried the Liberal government’s announcement to implement the Powell report on abortion.  The reason?  An election is looming and the Liberals don’t want to be picketed by pro-lifers everywhere they go.

Proposals to act on the Powell report were announced at a news conference on “Women’s health programs” on March 13.  Initiatives included the creation of a Women’s Health Bureau to “develop a central and co-ordinated focus for women’s health.”

A midwifery task force has been appointed to make recommendations on how midwives can become part of the health system.  Three hospital-affiliated birthing centers will be established in Toronto, Ottawa and Northern Ontario to create a more “homelike” environment for childbirth.

Sexual assault will receive government attention.  12 new centers are being created, more money will be given to existing rape crisis centers, a major publicity campaign is being designed by the Ontario Women’s Directorate and a new psychotherapy program will be established at Women’s College Hospital.

“Family planning” programmes will be expanded, with government spending increased by “more than $1.5 million, to reach “well over” $9 million each year.

The major emphasis will be to expand public health units in the community and to revise public school health and physical education programmes.  “The focus,” says Minister Elston, “will be on health behaviours and attitudes and the development of personal responsibility in health and sexual matters.”

Women’s directorate

The Ontario Women’s Directorate will work with the Ministry of Education to develop materials for students in grades 7 to 12.  The Ministry of Education “will also discuss with TV Ontario the need to develop appropriate health education programmes for school age children.”  And the Ministry of Health will translate its guide to “birth control and family planning’ into five languages, in addition to English and French.  It is also developing “an information series on family planning techniques.”

All of these initiatives were a prelude to Elston’s announcement on the Powell report, which he said, has been “thoroughly reviewed by my ministry staff, a wide number of public interest groups and the Ontario cabinet.”  Implementation of the report will, he says; ensure that “services are accessible within the framework of existing Canadian law.”  A statement hat has been interpreted to mean that the two illegal Toronto abortuaries will become redundant.

New techniques

Elston announced that Dr. Marion Powell has been hired by the Ministry of Health to help reorganize and restructure hospital abortion procedures.  An extra $2.5 million will be provided to do this. Elston made three points:

  • “Ministry staff will now consult with hospitals and the OMA to develop alternate funding methods for the new programs and for the payment of professional fees;
  • “With the cooperation of hospitals and physicians, we will encourage the study of new clinical techniques and promote further research into the incidence of second trimester abortion;
  • “We are also ready to explore Dr. Powell’s recommendations that general practitioners in Ontario be educated and trained in therapeutic abortion procedures and have access to the needed facilities.”

Norma Scarborough of the Canadian Abortion Rights Action League is pleased that Marion Powell is in charge of ensuring abortion on demand in Ontario.  “If it is possible to do it, Dr. Powell will get it done,” she said.  Powell herself stressed in interviews after the news conference that the Ministry of Health is committed to her recommendation for hospital-affiliated women’s centers to provide abortions.

Pleasing no one

Campaign Life, the political branch of the pro-life movement, sees the Liberals as trying to please everyone and, ultimately, pleasing no one.  “This government is trying to meet the demands of pro-abortionists and feminists, without alienating its many pro-life supporters, said Campaign Life legal counsel Paul Dodds.  They won’t succeed!

Pro-life picketing of Liberal MPs running for re-election will be a major part of Campaign Life’s next election strategy, Mr. Dodds said.  “We’ll be picketing David Peterson and others across Ontario in the next election,” he promised.  “Picketing is essential to alert the voters to the fact that this is a very pro-abortion government.