Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The standards are standards of care for therapeutic abortions and are established by the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists in Canada.

Yes, Mr. Speaker, I have been advised that the procedures are standard. They may vary in some instances as to the type and amounts of medication given to a patient prior to, during and after the procedure.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, there is a procedure that takes place which involves counselling. All patients requiring and seeking an abortion at the Stanton Yellowknife Hospital first receive counselling from the attending physicians and nursing staff in regard to the procedure. They are also informed by the physician and the nursing staff that the procedure is performed without a general anesthetic, and the reasons for these standards of care are explained to the patient so that they know, and also they have an opportunity to sign a consent form.

Further, Mr. Speaker, if a person is apprehensive, there is medication given to a patient. There is no patient receiving an abortion without their consent and without the care that is needed for that particular type of a procedure. There is no way that the hospital does this type of procedure against the will of an individual. They are informed first of all that it is not a practice that will be done without an anesthetic, or if the patient requests an anesthetic, they will receive it.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I had prepared a point of privilege to bring to the House under Rule 32(1) dealing with that very issue and I was waiting for the appropriate time to do this, according to the rules.

Point Of Privilege

Mr. Speaker, this morning CBC Radio carried an interview that I did yesterday concerning the matter of abortions. I am concerned that my comments did not come across the way that they should have. What I was trying to say to the reporter was that I had been advised that patients have a choice on whether or not they wish to have pain relief during an abortion procedure; I certainly did not want to suggest in any way that patients either have to have an abortion without pain killers, or they do not.

Mr. Speaker, I am advised by the hospital that standard procedures involving the administering of pain relieving medication, as required, before, during and after the

procedure -- I am told that in some cases general anesthetic is used in specific circumstances, such as for young patients, severely emotional and distraught patients, when the pregnancy is in the latter part of the first trimester, or when another medical procedure is being performed at the same time.

I explained this to the reporter, That part of the interview did not make it on to the news. I regret, Mr. Speaker, any misunderstanding that may have arisen out of that broadcast.

Mr. Speaker, on the point of privilege, I am supposed to give the House an hour's notice on something that was on a broadcast and not something that had been raised in the House. That was the delay; it had to be five minutes after 2:00 o'clock. It is in the book on page 12.

But to the question. The comments that I made were perhaps in my words, but it is not my intention to pass judgment on anyone as to whether or not an abortion should take place. It has never been, never was, never will be, my position. I was simply stating that a patient was not forced to have an abortion without an anesthetic if they did not want to have an abortion without an anesthetic, and I had explained that to the reporter. Unfortunately, that did not come across as I had intended it.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am not personally aware of what the Member is referring to, but I am advised that during the standard abortion procedure -- by

choice, that is -- a certain amount of counselling takes place between the physician and the patient. I am advised as well that there are female nursing staff present that are giving as good care as can be given under those trying circumstances. 1, as a Member, am greatly concerned about what I have been hearing. As a result of this, Mr. Speaker, I have asked Stanton Yellowknife Hospital to do a full public review of the procedures at the hospital. When these findings are made known to me, I will make them known to the House.