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.