The federal government will withhold over $140,000 in healthcare transfer payments, according to Saint John-Rothesay MP Wayne Long.
The move comes as a response to the Blaine Higgs government’s refusal to fund out-of-hospital abortions, including those at Clinic 554 in Fredericton.
Ottawa had previously threatened to withhold the funds in 2020 but rescinded after the COVID-19 pandemic began.
Long says the Higgs government is in violation of the Canada Health Act and he hopes the province will reconsider.
“The hope and expectation is the Higgs government will revisit this, will take another look at this, and be more accommodating,” Long said.
Last fall, Clinic 554 shut its doors last fall due to a lack of funding for abortion services.
The clinic specialized in LGBTQIA+ healthcare and was the only clinic in the province that was equipped to handle out-of-hospital abortions.
Long believes the province should help Dr. Adrian Edgar reopen the clinic.
“The expectation and hope would be the Higgs government provides service and funding to reopen,” said Long. “The clinic served thousands of people throughout the community, and we want to see it restored and reopened.”
The Saint John-Rothesay MP said the Canada Health Act violation puts New Brunswickers seeking abortions in danger.
“(The Higgs government is) legally obliged to provide out-of-hospital abortion care services. 90 per cent of New Brunswickers don’t have adequate access as we currently sit.”
Our newsroom reached out to the Department of Health for comment but did not receive a response.