Fredericton chapter at yesterday’s rally.
About 60 New Brunswickers rallied in the freezing rain for reproductive health yesterday on the opening day of the New Brunswick legislature. The Council of Canadians Fredericton chapter was there to add their voice to the call for the funding of reproductive health care.
The organizers of the rally note that on November 26 the provincial government of New Brunswick removed a restriction to abortion, but there is still inadequate access until clinics are funded as in other provinces. The rally called on Premier Brian Gallant to repeal of Sec. 2.01 of the Medical Services Payment Act that does not allow public funding of abortions in clinics and to provide public funding for reproductive health services across New Brunswick. Reproductive Justice NB says, “Repealing 84-20 actually removes the need for two doctors to say it’s medically necessary, but it doesn’t remove the need for someone to refer you to get to the hospital. And it doesn’t guarantee that the hospital is going to have pro-choice policies.”
In April, the Fredericton chapter participated in an emergency rally in response to the announcement by the Morgentaler Clinic in Fredericton that said it would need to close because of New Brunswick’s continued refusal to fund abortion care at the clinic. That clinic closed on July 31.
For more, please see the Reproductive Justice New Brunswick Facebook page here.
