Political Barriers to Abortion Access in New Brunswick: A Qualitative Exploration of a Political Hot Potato

Abstract

New Brunswick has been an outlier concerning abortion access for decades. In 2015, the Liberal government under Premier Brian Gallant made significant legislative changes to regulation 84-20 to make abortions more easily accessible in the province. Despite these changes, the Liberal government fell short of publicly funding community-based abortions outside hospitals. This qualitative study aimed to examine the political dynamic and pressures explaining why New Brunswick remains behind on abortion access compared to other Canadian provinces. From September until November 2020, we conducted semi-structured in-depth interviews with 22 participants. Participants were a mix of past and present politicians, health care leaders, and high-ranking public officials identified as key stakeholders in the abortion debate in New Brunswick. Some participants shared their challenges separating their personal views on abortions and admitted wanting to limit access to make it difficult for people to get an abortion. At the same time, other participants described concern for the most vulnerable segments of the New Brunswick population who may struggle with accessing abortions, leading to undue stress and anxiety levels. Ultimately, this article describes the challenges politicians face with power dynamics within their parties and the balance between managing political risks to maintain popularity within the New Brunswick electorate without infringing on people’s right to medical care.