NB will have a publicly-funded Midwives Association by 2008!!

See Daily Gleaner article

Health Minister Mike Murphy has announced that Midwives could be helping New Brunswick women give birth by the spring of 2008. A committee will be formed in June to develop legislation to allow midwives to practice in New Brunswick (currently midwifery in NB is a grey area, not illegal, but not legislated either). Most important is that midwifery will be part of the NB health-care system, a viable choice for mothers who would otherwise have to travel to Nova Scotia for a midwife's care (or perhaps she might be able to access one of NB's six practicing midwives).

Only New Brunswick, P.E.I., Newfoundland and the Yukon don't include midwives in the public health-care system.

In other women's health news:
Morgentaler's lawsuit against the province for limiting access to affordable abortion began this week.
The province is arguing that Morgentaler doesn't have legal standing to challenge current regulations, that he cannot assert the right of women under the charter because he is not a woman, not pregnant and not seeking an abortion.

If men were not allowed to represent the interests of women to their peers/government, women would still not have the vote, be able to own property, and would still be considered minors in marriage law (going back to John Stuart Mill, one of the first to champion legislated rights for women).
Due to the social stigma attached to abortion, high profile nature of the case, and potential intimidation and retaliation by anti-choice protestors, no woman has yet come forward with the willpower and resources to mount a case against the province on her own.

Lawyers debate Morgentaler's standing
Abortion Lawsuit sparks rally