Cause to legalise abortion
Plea to let mums decide
A YOUNG woman who chose to terminate her pregnancy due to medical reasons will today tell a Townsville committee why she believes abortion should be decriminalised in Queensland.
North Queensland woman Ashleigh Foley will share her personal experience at a parliamentary committee hearing submissions on the State Government’s proposed abortion bill in Townsville.
Ms Foley was aged 24 in 2014, when she and her family made the heart- breaking decision to terminate her pregnancy at 21 weeks after tests revealed her unborn son had severe spina bifida.
“After multiple appointments and consultations, we knew he wouldn’t have any quality of life and so we decided it would be better to break our hearts than watch him suffer for however long his life might be,” she said.
Ms Foley has since become a strong advocate for pro- choice legislation.
“My focus was termination for medical reasons, but I believe every woman should have the right to choose, no matter the reason,” she said.
Ms Foley, who now has two children, said she is particularly concerned about the “propaganda and myths” about abortion in the community.
“It is a completely misguided opinion to think a woman would choose to have a late- term abortion simply because she changed her mind about a pregnancy,” she said.
“When I terminated my pregnancy, I had to go through labour and delivery … and because it was 21 weeks my body wasn’t ready for labour, so it was excruciatingly painful.
“No woman would ever voluntarily put themselves through something like just because they changed their mind.”
Thurwingowa MP Aaron Harper is chair of the Health Committee taking submissions on the proposed bill and said the hearing was a chance for regional Queenslanders to have their say.
“There are diverse views across the state on this, but I fundamentally agree it is a women’s health issue, not a criminal matter,” he said.
“It is a matter between a woman, her GP and her family. It shouldn’t be politicised and I am hoping this will be a respectful debate.”
A summary of the hearings will be submitted as a report to Parliament ahead of a vote on Government legislation to decriminalise abortion in Queensland.
The proposed bill will allow for women to procure an abortion on request up to 22 weeks gestation.
It also includes the introduction of “safe access zones” of 150 metres around clinics.
LNP leader Deb Frecklington is yet to announce if she will give her party a conscience vote on the matter when it comes to Parliament.
Burdekin LNP MP Dale Last said the party would wait until the hearings and final report are complete before making a decision.
Previously, Traeger MP Robbie Katter announced the Katter’s Australia Party’s three state members would vote against any legislation to legalise abortion.