Prince Edward Island is widely regarded as a pro-life province.  After all, five years ago abortion was banned in this province, and two years later the Legislative Assembly declared itself pro-life.  (Politically, there was little choice.)
It is true the Right to Life movement still exists, but it is struggling for membership, understanding and support.
On almost all other fronts, the family and Judeo-Christian values are under attack, without most people being aware that a battle is being waged.
Dianne Porter
In this setting, the provincial government recently established a Women’s Secretariat.  It will be headed by Dianne Porter, who will have the status of deputy minister and be the government’s special advisor on women’s issues.  The Secretariat will be a full department, replacing the lesser Women’s Division created in the Department of Labour in 1987.
“It will provide government with an increased capacity to respond to issues of concern to women in PEI,” said Premier Joseph Ghiz in announcing the move.  He described the change as “a natural progression, one that has occurred in several other provinces.”  Some, however, regard it as a predictable progression, through a not-so-natural development.
Members of pro-life and pro-family groups have reason for apprehension.
Dynamic and aggressive
It is widely thought that Charlottetown-area feminists had much to do with the election of Joe Ghiz in 1982, and that they have been cashing in on this ever since.
Dianne Porter, executive director of the new secretariat, was chairperson of the local Advisory Council on the Status of Women from 1986 to 1989.  During her term, this dynamic and aggressive lady was very successful in raising the profile of the Advisory Council, with no public opposition until REAL Women/PEI came on the scene in 1987.
Her greatest coup so far was to persuade the government to enact a Status of Women Act in 1988.  Formerly the Council existed at the pleasure of the government; now it can be dissolved only if the Legislature repeals the Act.
Although the Advisory Council claims to be at arms length from government, Mrs. Porter also succeeded in obtaining for it a budget of $200,000 (not counting various federal grants), and a multitude of other perks.
On leaving the Advisory Council to try municipal politics, Mrs. Porter listed among the Council’s goals yet to be achieved: “Better access for therapeutic abortion, improvements in the PEI Human Rights Act, and expansion of child care services to rural communities.”
Day care activist
Long before joining the Advisory Council, Dianne Porter was a daycare activist on both the provincial and national scenes.  Several months ago she launched an intensive campaign to have daycare centres established in local high schools “to prevent poverty by enabling teen mothers to complete their education.”  (See “Day care peddled for PEI schools, “The Interim, November 1990)
At that time, Education Minister Paul Connolly firmly refused to accede to the demands, but the campaign continues on new fronts and seems to be winning converts.  Members of REAL Women, the only voice raised in opposition, fear that in the Secretariat it will now progress more quickly but less openly.
Following the Senate defeat of Bill C-43, the local chapter of CARAL reiterated its intention of forcing the provincial government to pay all costs for island women obtaining abortions in Halifax hospitals (or the Morgentaler ‘clinic’ if it reopens).
In view of Mrs. Porter’s previous record, it is quite possible that CARAL’s efforts will now be strongly supported by the new Women’s Secretariat.
U.N. Convention
The Advisory Council and other feminist groups have also been promoting the U.N. Convention on the Rights of Children.  In December, representatives of REAL Women/PEI met with the full Liberal caucus to discuss funding and a number of other issues, including concerns about the Convention.  They were cordially received, and their arguments seemed to make a strong impact on most of the caucus.
“We received the distinct impression from the Premier’s remarks that nothing we could say could influence this smallest province to withhold approval of this document so strongly supported by the federal government,” says REAL Women member Linda Morrison Durant.
Any small hope of influencing a change has pretty much evaporated with Mrs. Porter’s appointment, she feels.