Island New Democrats and the Abortion Rights Coalition of Canada are both questioning Premier Robert Ghiz’s recent co-chair appointment to a national working group aimed at improving health care services in Canada.
The two groups oppose Ghiz’s appointment because of the province’s stance on access to abortion services, a stance which leaves P.E.I. as the only province in Canada that does not provide the service locally.
“How hypocritical for the premier to accept this co-chair position,” said Joyce Arthur, Executive Director of the Abortion Rights Coalition of Canada. ”If (P.E.I.) won’t even provide basic healthcare services to its residents for ideological reasons, how can Ghiz be in a position to lead other provinces in improving their healthcare systems and delivery?”
Ghiz, along with Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall, will co-chair the Health Care Innovation Working Group composed of all provincial and territorial health ministers. Announced Tuesday, the group is mandated by provincial and territorial leaders to drive a process to improve Canadian health care services.
While sharing the same message as the Coalition, the provincial NDP went a step further by referring to a recent resolution passed by the Liberal Party of Canada that would guarantee Canadian women access to abortion services.
If elected to government, the resolution says a Liberal government would make an amendment to the Canada Health Act to guarantee the service. The resolution also calls for provinces to be financially penalized for not following the Act.
The NDP’s public relations officer posted a press release to the party’s website today calling on Ghiz to say whether or not he supports the resolution passed by his federal counterparts.
“…Numerous high profile women’s organizations are coming out against (P.E.I.) for being anti-choice,” Chris van Ouwerkerk said in a press release. “Robert Ghiz needs to address whether or not he supported the Liberal abortion resolution. If not then the question is why is he co-chair of a forward-thinking health board?”
Ghiz was among a hand full of local Liberals who attended the federal party’s 2012 policy convention in Ottawa over the weekend. Although in attendance at the convention, Ghiz was not there as a voting delegate, a staff member in the Premier’s office confirmed.
“Until he discloses whether or not he supports his party’s resolution, regardless of being at the vote (or not), we will not support his appointment,” van Ouwerkerk told Island Edition.
The issue of abortion access on P.E.I. – or lack thereof – has stormed local and national headlines over the last few months since the P.E.I. Reproductive Rights Organization launched in October 2011.
In December, the provincial government said it had no plans to introduce abortion services on P.E.I., a stance that sparked the provincial NDP and the Coalition to question Ghiz’s recent appointment.
“The first place (Ghiz) should look is in his own backyard,” said Arthur. “Ghiz has no business leading other provinces in talks about “best practices” and looking for “more innovations” when his own province openly flouts the law by not providing a basic and cost-effective service that women have a fundamental right to.”
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