We’ve written before about how the Ontario government passed legislation in order to withhold abortion data from its taxpayers. Pat Maloney, pro-life blogger and superstar is taking the government to court over the move.
We’re still not clear why the government did what it did in passing that ridiculous legislation. Pat continues to ask questions though. Here’s her exchange with her MPP Madeleine Meilleur.
I asked her why the government put the abortion exclusion clause into FIPPA.
Ms. Meilleur responded:
“We amended the Freedom of Information Act at the request of the hospitals to maintain the quality and the privacy of the information, so it was not specific to abortion. It’s among other things [in the act]. I don’t think you would like your private information to be disclosed to the public.”
I explained to Ms. Meilleur, that the change had nothing to do with privacy. That I agree that private information should never be released, however there is no private information in what I’m asking for. I’m asking for totals of abortion statistics, those done in hospitals, in private physician offices and clinics. I said that private and personal information is already excluded from the act. I said that because it is important to have good statistics, and it doesn’t matter if you are pro-life or pro-choice, we need to have accurate statistics for all health concerns for women.
I asked her again, saying that I’m just trying to understand why the Ontario government did this. They haven’t excluded information for woman who have breast cancer, or knee surgeries. So why did they exclude abortion services?
Keep up the good fight Pat! Perhaps someday we’ll have answers…
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