Two abortion rights groups are accusing Premier Robert Ghiz of hypocrisy for his refusal to make abortion available in P.E.I.
Officials with the Abortion Rights Coalition of Canada, a national pro-choice advocacy group, were shocked to learn earlier this week that Ghiz was appointed co-chair of a national premiers working group aimed at developing ideas and methods to improve health service delivery across the country.
Joyce Arthur, executive director of the Abortion Rights Coalition of Canada (ARCC), said she finds it insulting Ghiz accepted this position after he told the women of P.E.I. in December that the Island’s lack of abortion services will remain status quo.
“Under the 1988 Morgentaler Supreme Court decision it’s a legal precedent that it’s a constitutional right for women so there’s no excuse for him not to provide it and I just find it insulting, really, that he would accept this position (on the working group) and treat it like such a good news story when he’s really abandoned women on the Island who need this service,” Arthur said.
She called Ghiz’s acceptance of his position on this committee ‘hypocritical.’
“How can he be leading other provinces in figuring out how to improve health systems when he’s got this albatross around his neck?” Arthur said.
There are no laws or specific policies banning abortions in P.E.I. and they could be performed in the province if a doctor with the proper training and skills applied for operation room privileges to provide this service.
But in December, Ghiz said the Island’s lack of abortion services will remain status quo under his administration.
A local pro-choice group that has been calling for abortion to be made available in the province is also calling Ghiz a hypocrite over this decision.
"I just find it insulting, really, that he would accept this position and treat it like such a good news story when he’s really abandoned women on the Island who need this service." - Joyce Arthur, executive director of the Abortion Rights Coalition of Canada
The P.E.I. Reproductive Rights Organization (PRRO) unearthed a motion introduced by Ghiz in the legislature in 2006 when he was leader of the Opposition. The motion called on government, then under the leadership of Pat Binns, to ‘respect the Charter of Rights and Freedoms of all Islanders.’ This motion was in response to the Binns government’s appeal of a Supreme Court decision regarding its firing of provincial employees based on their political affiliation.
Entitled “Respecting the Charter of Rights and Freedoms,” the motion urged the government to adhere to the Charter.
Kandace Hagen, spokeswoman for PRRO, said she believes Ghiz’s recent statements regarding abortion represent an ‘alarming about-face’ from his stance in 2006 when he demanded government’s actions and policies fall in line with the Charter.
“It’s disappointing that a leader who has defended the rights of Islanders in the past has chosen to turn his back on them in this case,” Hagen said.
“This is obviously an instance of putting politics above principles, and meanwhile the health of Island women is being compromised as a result.”
Hagen added she hopes reminding Ghiz of his past commitment to the Charter might result in a change to his stance on abortion access in P.E.I.
Last weekend the Liberal Party of Canada passed a resolution during its biennial convention last weekend proposing to suspend health funding to provinces like P.E.I. that limit access to abortion.
The Guardian has requested comment from Ghiz on this resolution by his own party, but the requests have gone unanswered.
I wasn't aware that groups that were Prochoice and used the charter as a justification were willing to throw out every other freedom we have simply because abortions are simply not convenient enough. I guess freedom of religion, freedom of expression, and the basic principles of democracy are outdated concepts and need to be thrown on the scrap heap of history so that the all mighty abortion can be more convenient than a dental checkup. Now there is threats that money to perform life saving procedures should be held hostage,just to make things more convenient for them. You can drive to Moncton to visit a Costco, but your willing to let people die because it isn't convenient enough for an abortion. Wasn't before, but count me off your little jihad against democracy.