Abortion issue 'off the radar'

Priorities Clement says Ottawa will wait for N.B. to initiate any discussion
 

Telegraph-Journal
As published on page A1 on December 11, 2006
 

MONCTON - New Brunswick's contentious abortion policy appears to be a hot potato both the federal and provincial governments are hoping will cool off.

The province does not pay for abortions performed at Dr. Henry Morgentaler's private clinic in Fredericton, where women pay upwards of $700 for an abortion. New Brunswick and Ottawa have clashed for several years over the policy, which also requires women to find two physicians to deem an abortion medically necessary.

However, federal Health Minister Tony Clement told the Telegraph-Journal Saturday that the issue is "off the radar."

"We were waiting for the results of the New Brunswick election," said Clement. "I have not heard formally or informally from the new minister of health (Mike Murphy) on the issue and really the ball is in their court to have the discussion. I don't want to preclude any option from him. He has to decide what their stance is on this issue and communicate it to us."

The two sides appeared to be headed toward a showdown last fall after former Liberal health minister Ojjal Donsanjh named a three-member panel to resolve the issue.

The talks were stalled by the January federal election and a Health Canada spokesperson said in the spring that the new Conservative government was still reviewing whether to proceed. Former justice minister Brad Green said in the fall that he hadn't heard anything more about the issue from Ottawa.

When asked how long he would wait to hear from Murphy before taking action, Clement said, "I'll wait until I hear from him."

Murphy also said the issue was not a priority for him.

"To be very truthful, in the last two months it hasn't come up on my agenda whatsoever," he said. "There's no plan for change that I know of at the present time."

 

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