Fredericton, NB – In response to a request in the provincial legislature by Lou Murphy (Lib. Saint John Harbour), who asked for guarantees that Catholic hospitals would be allowed to maintain their own ethical standards and ways of doing things, New Brunswick Health and Community Services Minister Russell King stated on April 25, 1992, that such assurances had already given.
Saying that legislation would soon be coming to establish new regional hospital boards, King declared that the contents of the bill would answer the question of Catholic hospitals regarding mission statements and medical ethics.
Opposition members in the Legislature, however, would have none of this.
Jean Gauvin (PC – Shippagan Les Iles) said a “regional board” cannot be aware of local needs.
Max White (Confederation of Regions (COR) – Sudbury) said nominated boards are not replacements for elected boards.
Both Opposition Leader Danny Cameron (COR), and P.C. Leader Dennis Cochrane denounced the late March – early April legislation for seizing control of all New Brunswick hospitals as outrageous. (For main story, see front page of the May 1992 edition of The Interim.)
