Bridges ‘loath’ to change abortion law
National Party leader Simon Bridges has doubled down on his opposition to changing New Zealand’s abortion law – which currently treats the procedure as a crime.
Bridges went so far as to say he would be ‘‘loath to’’ take it out of the Crimes Act when he appeared on 1 News yesterday morning.
He was challenged on the issue by Jack Tame and by Susie Ferguson on Radio New Zealand’s Morning Report.
Bridges told both presenters that his stance on abortions was ‘‘rare, safe, legal’’ – with an emphasis on rare.
Speaking to Ferguson, he said: ‘‘I have not seen the case for change in this area. Overall, I think the regime we have for abortions is working well.’’
When both Ferguson and Tame challenged him on the fact women had to lie or claim ‘‘mental fragility’’ to obtain an abortion, he avoided a direct answer both times.
Bridges said he would wait to hear the advice being prepared by the Law Commission about abortion law for Justice Minister Andrew Little.
Both Ferguson and Tame’s questions were motivated by Ireland voting to legalise abortion in a referendum on Friday.
Terry Bellamak, the president of Abortion Law Reform New Zealand (ALRANZ), said New Zealand politicians should be ‘‘embarrassed’’ by how slowly they had acted on the issue compared to Ireland. She was lost for words trying to express her feelings about Ireland backing change by two to one.
The coalition Government has asked the Law Commission to consider changes, including removing abortion from the Crimes Act and making it a health issue. But as it stands, termination is still a crime here except in a few scenarios.
Justice Minister Andrew Little said the Law Commission was due to report back to him by the end of this year and, providing the Government could agree on the recommendations, it was possible there could be legislation before Parliament next year.
Although that was good news, Bellamak said the difference between Ireland and New Zealand was that Ireland had gone ‘‘straight to the people’’, while here it would be a conscience vote in Parliament.
‘‘The fact is that people tend to be a lot more progressive and the leaders tend to be a lot more conservative,’’ she said. ‘‘Politicians move slower and I hope that the politicians also see the sea change that this vote indicates has really happened.
‘‘I think it’s embarrassing, it’s embarrassing for the New Zealand Government and successive onces since 1977. None of them have really done much to improve the situation.’’
Right To Life, a group staunchly opposed to abortion law reform, has previously said moves to legalise or decriminalise it would be met with ‘‘fierce opposition’’.
‘‘I hope that the politicians also see the sea change that this vote indicates has really happened.’’ Terry Bellamak, president of Abortion Law Reform New Zealand