NB March for Life Draws Support from Politicians

     The seventh annual March for Life was held May 11th in front of the New Brunswick Legislature, coinciding with the national march in Ottawa. For the first time the event was held while the Legislature was in session, and with good results despite inclement weather: twelve of the 55 MLAs were in attendance.

     “We were delighted with the response from politicians,” said Peter Ryan, executive director of NB Right to Life and president of Campaign Life Coalition NB, two sponsoring groups along with the Knights of Columbus.

     This year’s theme was, “Our Children Are Our Future, ” designed to focus on the province’s serious demographic problem. There are now more deaths than births. “Abortion is a big part of the problem, protecting the unborn is a big part of the solution,” said Ryan. His opinion piece, “Are New Brunswickers A Dying Breed?” was circulated to MLAs prior to the rally. Youth and children were well represented at the event, and three spoke to the crowd.

    Eleven of the 26-member Liberal caucus were present. Miramichi MLA Rick Brewer represented Opposition leader Shawn Graham. He offered to be a voice for right to life people in the Legislature. “We can surely use such voices,” said Ryan.

     Moncton Conservative MLA John Betts represented Premier Bernard Lord and the Conservative caucus. When participants placed roses in front of the Legislature, in memory of New Brunswick’s 1,000 unborn who died from abortion in 2005, Mr. Betts took a rose and said he would explain its significance to his colleagues.  Ryan says he thinks more Conservatives would have attended but a caucus meeting was scheduled during rally time.

     Participants marched from the Legislature to the pro-life center next to Henry Morgentaler’s Fredericton abortion facility. Following prayers roses were also left in memory of the estimated 600 children aborted there last year. The clinic is at the center of a controversy over public funding of private abortion clinics. The 2005 March for Life rallied support for NB’s policy of not funding such centers.

     After the event more roses were left at the city’s hospital where it is estimated up to 400 unborn lost their lives in 2005.