The hot button issue of abortion made its way to the Saskatchewan legislature last week.
In particular, opposition members were zeroing in on comments made by Minister of Rural and Remote Health Greg Ottenbreit at a meeting of the Saskatchewan Pro-life Association. He was reported expressing support for “our cause” and said, “I will continue to do what I can in my professional capacity.”
Opposition MLA Vicki Mowat raised it in Question Period Monday, April 15, tipping off three days of grilling of the government. Monday’s exchange is reproduced from Hansard.Ěý
Ms. Mowat: —Mr. Speaker, a few years ago the Minister for Rural and Remote Health conceded that when it came to comments he’d made to a grieving mother, “. . . I’m the minister; so the whole conversation I’m the minister . . .” and “. . . you bear the words you speak. And I do represent the government . . .” That minister still represents this government when he speaks, but last week he tried to justify his remarks to an anti-abortion group where he vowed to do what he could in his professional capacity to support their work, saying he was only referring to his capacity as an MLA. To the minister: which is it? Does he represent the government when he speaks or doesn’t he?
The Speaker: —I recognize the Minister of Rural and Remote Health.
Hon. Mr. Ottenbreit: —Mr. Speaker, I represent the government when I speak, and let me put this on record, Mr. Speaker. Questions were raised in the House last week about rural coverage of Mifegymiso…
Mr. Speaker, we realize that access to abortion is a federal issue. It’s been ruled on by the Supreme Court of Canada and it’s the rule of law in our country. Our government’s position is we respect the rule of law. We support women’s reproductive rights. And I support our government’s position, Mr. Speaker. The Ministry of Health is currently conducting that review of Mifegymiso, and we expect those results to come back in the near future. And that’s been done by the request of the Minister of Health and myself. My personal views have not and will not affect this review, Mr. Speaker.
The Speaker: —I recognize the member for Saskatoon Fairview.
Ms. Mowat: —When medical students were here recently advocating for Mifegymiso coverage, the minister said that he tried to “keep his personal beliefs out of the job” and that “you can’t legislate people’s morality or their choices.” Only days later he sent a very different message to the SPLA [Saskatchewan Pro-Life Association] gathering. He said he only met with the medical students because he’s “obligated to meet with groups.” He encouraged those in attendance to continue with their “battle,” and he committed to doing what he could in his professional capacity to help. These messages are not just inconsistent; they are contradictory. So which is it: can the minister keep his personal beliefs out of his job as he says, or is he in fact working in his professional capacity to restrict access and decrease reproductive health options?
The Speaker: —I recognize the Minister of Health.
Hon. Mr. Reiter: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As the Minister of Rural and Remote Health has just said, he has not let any personal beliefs get in the way of appropriately doing his job as Rural and Remote Health minister, Mr. Speaker.
To the issue that the member opposite raises on Mifegymiso, as I said many times in the House over the last couple weeks, I had the opportunity to meet with the medical students. They made a very good presentation, Mr. Speaker. I offered to them and I followed up with that. They have an opportunity to meet with officials from the ministry. I believe that’s set for, I think, next week or the week after, Mr. Speaker. In the meantime I’ve asked officials, with the support of the Rural and Remote Health minister, to conduct a review as we would in any of these cases, Mr. Speaker, as we did when we decided to provide universal coverage for HIV [human immunodeficiency virus] medication.
Mr. Speaker, let me make this perfectly clear, the only issue that’s left to deal with this is whether tax dollars are going to pay the entire cost of the people that use Mifegymiso, or whether we would stay with the current program where the most vulnerable are protected, and in emergency situations, people are also protected…
The lengthy exchange between Mowat and Reiter continued.
Ms. Mowat: —Mr. Speaker, the people of Saskatchewan deserve better than this. The minister has failed to provide any assurance that he is willing and able to do his job. Since the minister has proven himself incapable of doing his job, will the Premier find a minister of Rural and Remote Health who can?
The Speaker: —I recognize the Minister of Health.
Hon. Mr. Reiter: —Mr. Speaker, on a couple of occasions today the minister very clearly laid out that he supports the position of the Government of Saskatchewan. Mr. Speaker, let me make that position perfectly clear. Abortion services are legal in this country and it’s an expectation under the Canada Health Act that they’re provided. Mr. Speaker, we ensure that they are provided.
The next day, opposition leader Ryan Meili got into the act hurling accusations at Premier Scott Moe.Ěý
Mr. Meili: —Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Prior to his 2017 election, I guess it was into 2018 election as Sask Party leader, the Premier said in a 2017 interview with anti-abortion group RightNow, and I quote, “There may be some opportunities as we move forward under my leadership, with respect to a caucus discussion around the potentiality of parental notification.”
Just to be clear, parental notification or parental consent would fly in the face of medical ethics or standard medical practice in terms of the rights of women and in terms of our long-standing practice of treating mature minors as they should be treated. At the time, the StarPhoenix reported that the caucus had already had discussions on parental notification back in 2016 and had received a clear legal opinion that that would be unconstitutional to proceed with. Was the Premier part of that original discussion and aware of that legal opinion when he made those statements?
The Speaker: —I recognize the Premier.
Hon. Mr. Moe: —Mr. Speaker, we’ve had a number of discussions on a number of different issues as a caucus, Mr. Speaker, as a governing caucus, to come up with policies, the very best policies in our mind on behalf of the people of the province that we represent. With respect to this topic, with the topic of abortion, Mr. Speaker, as the Minister of Health said the other day, this is a moot point. The Supreme Court has ruled that with respect to this, Mr. Speaker.
… It’s the law of the land. It’s the policy of this government, and I support the policy of this government…
The Speaker: —I recognize the Leader of the Opposition.
Mr. Meili: —Thank you, Mr. Speaker, if the Premier was aware that what he said he would consider and allow discussions on was unconstitutional and essentially impossible — a moot point, as he says — why did he make those statements?
The Speaker: —I recognize the Premier.
Hon. Mr. Moe: —Mr. Speaker, as I said, we discuss numerous items in our caucus room, Mr. Speaker. We do that on behalf of the people that we represent…
…And when we come out of that room, Mr. Speaker, we fully support those policies because we believe they are the best for this province, the best for the growth of our economy, the best for the growth of the opportunities of the people that live here and the people that we hope to attract to live here in the future, Mr. Speaker. That has been how we’ve conducted ourselves to date; that’s how we’ll continue to conduct ourselves.
Meili later insinuated Moe’s previous statements might have tipped the Sask Party leadership race.
Mr. Meili: —…Given that the Premier’s statements may have been a deciding factor in that leadership race, I’m wondering if, since that time in his role as Premier, has he met or called with RightNow or any other organizations? How did those organizations respond to his very abrupt change once elected, and have they expressed any disappointment to him at his immediate about-face?
The Speaker: —I recognize the Premier.
Hon. Mr. Moe: —Mr. Speaker, over the course of the last just over a year now, I’ve met with a number of different organizations. I do not recall meeting with this particular organization at any point in time actually, Mr. Speaker, in person although I met a number of people over the course of the leadership race, as did a number of other leadership candidates and colleagues on this side of the House as we conducted . . . And I’m very proud to be part of, as I know many leadership candidates were on this side of this House, that worked very, very hard for a number of months and worked collectively in what was the largest leadership event, I think in the history of the province, most certainly in the history of our Saskatchewan Party, Mr. Speaker. Over 27,000 people across the province participated in that event, Mr. Speaker. It was an event that we were very proud of the size of that event, Mr. Speaker.
…
Mr. Meili: —…The Premier had the support of the Rural and Remote Health minister in the leadership campaign, a minister we know recently told an anti-abortion group that he would use his professional capacity to advance their cause.
Has that minister put any pressure on the Premier since that time? You know, the Premier stated that that minister crossed a small matter, a small line, crossed a small line. But I tell you, this line doesn’t appear small to me. He encouraged a group to fight against a law that his role and his commitment to our constitution requires him to uphold…
If the Premier simply brushes off such significant, significant errors as a small line, what consequences will we see if other caucus members cross that same line?
The Speaker: —I recognize the Premier.
Hon. Mr. Moe: —Well, Mr. Speaker, I would say this. The Rural and Remote Health minister, Mr. Speaker, I alluded to had crossed the line with his comments, Mr. Speaker. I would point to all the members of this House and the members, the people in this province, to his actions over the course of the last four and a half years of serving the people of this province. I would point them specifically to September 2017 when there was a decision made, Mr. Speaker, under the direction of the current Health minister, but the Rural and Remote Health minister was in the exact same position at that point in time when Mifegymiso was actually added to the formulary, Mr. Speaker, actually made accessible to the people of the province of Saskatchewan.
Mr. Speaker, we’ve seen this time and time again where we see the Leader of the Opposition and others, Mr. Speaker, do what essentially amounts to drive-by smears of people, residents of this province. We saw it with Jason LeBlanc, Mr. Speaker, a farmer and an auctioneer and a hard-working individual in the community of Estevan. We saw with our Minister of Finance, Mr. Speaker. It should not be passing strange that we again see it here today with our Minister of Rural and Remote Health.
On Wednesday, Mowat and later Meili resumed their grilling of Reiter on the abortion issue. The opposition’s attack seemed to finally run out of steam as Reiter looked tired of the line of questioning.
Hon. Mr. Reiter: —Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, these are the exact same questions we answered last week and we answered earlier this week, Mr. Speaker.
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