Bridges for abortion bill
National leader Simon Bridges will support the Government’s abortion law reform bill at its first reading but wants more ‘‘safeguards’’ post-20 weeks of gestation.
The Government on Monday unveiled its long-planned bill to decriminalise abortion, which currently sits in the Crimes Act.
The bill will allow women to selfrefer to abortion clinics within the first 20 weeks of gestation. Currently all abortions require certification from two doctors that taking the pregnancy to term will endanger the physical or mental health of the mother.
After 20 weeks of gestation the bill requires that a doctor believe the abortion is medically appropriate.
Abortion is generally treated as a conscience issue, meaning MPs vote independently of their party on the matter.
Bridges, who has expressed doubt about decriminalising abortion in the past, told reporters on his way into caucus yesterday that he supported the changes to the law for abortions in the first 20 weeks, which make up the vast majority of all abortions.
Consequently, he would support it through its first reading debate tomorrow.
‘‘I’m going to support it to select committee. Effectively the position pre-20 weeks of gestation is one where law and practice should match, they haven’t, so I accept that’s the right decision,’’ Bridges said.
‘‘Seems to me there should be significantly stronger safeguards post-20 weeks and late term. That to me is where the focus will be.’’
Bridges had not yet decided who he would send to the special select committee set up to consider the bill, and said he had not yet decided whether he would actively campaign one way or the other later on in the process.
‘‘I’m very hopeful that there will be changes as I suggest during the select committee process.’’
Many MPs supportive
A majority of Labour MPs spoken to yesterday morning were supportive of the bill. There was only weak opposition from Labour’s more conservative members, and even the party’s Ma¯ ori caucus, which can split from the party’s more liberal wing on social issues, was largely supportive of the bill.
Top ministers Jacinda Ardern, Grant Robertson, Iain Lees-Galloway, and Megan Woods were all supportive. Several MPs who voted against the End of Life Choice Bill on euthanasia were supportive, such as Health Minister David Clark and backbencher Kiri Allan.
Some members, such as Māori caucus co-chairwoman Meka Whaitiri, said they would vote for the bill at its first reading, but would not commit to voting for the bill any further.
After the bill is read a first time tomorrow, MPs will have a one-week recess during which many will return to their electorates. Some wavering MPs, such as Whaitiri, said they would use this time to consult their constituents.
‘‘I support taking it [abortion] out of the Crimes Act and putting it as a health issue, but obviously beyond that, life is sacred in Ma¯ ori culture and I need to talk to my people,’’ Whaitiri said.
Other MPs, such as Deborah Russell, said they would have preferred the Government to recommend a more liberal form of abortion proposed by the Law Commission, but they were happy voting for change.
‘‘I’ll vote for what’s available, because it’s so much better than the current law,’’ Russell said.