The New Democratic parties of B.C. and Ontario have both decided to expand the abortion facilities in their own provinces. This continues the recent trend in both provinces to promote abortion services at the expense of legitimate and crucial health care needs.
The Comprehensive Abortion and Reproductive Education (CARE) centre in Vancouver will perform abortions in place of the Shaughnessy Hospital, which closed last year due to lack of funding. The new facility is expected to do up to 2,500 abortions per year and will carry out the procedures in the former Shaughnessy spinal-cord intensive-care unit. Local pro-life groups have announced that they will picket the new facility.
In mid-February, The Ontario government announced its decision to grant control of the proposed new facility in Ottawa to Henry Morgentaler. The announcement came as no surprise to pro-lifers as the NDP has historically done everything in its power to support and encourage the country’s leading abortionist. Recently, the government has paid start-up costs and security at his news Toronto facility. Attorney-General Marion Boyd has also initiated a lawsuit against 18 pro-lifers who picket his and other facilities. Decision on the case is pending.
Ottawa Centre area MPP Evelyn Gigantes, on behalf of Health Minister Ruth Grier, announced that first-year operating costs at the new facility will be about $6000,000 per year which do not include Morgentaler’s fees. If he does his expected 1,500 abortions next year, this will add approximately $3000,000 in doctor’s fees paid through OHIP, bringing the total to almost $1 million.
At a time when government cutbacks are affecting all areas of medicine, abortion funding remains on solid ground, a fact which disturbs many Ontarians. “This is the same government which has slashed health funding, causing some Toronto women with the breat cancer to travel to Sudbury or Thunder Bay for treatment,” said Annette MacDonald, an Ottawa Campaign Life Coalition spokes person.
