PM defends limits to abortion law
Ardern says bill had to be shaped so it would pass in House
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has defended not going further with major abortion law reform, saying the bill put up before Parliament needs to be able to pass.
The Government yesterday set out its long-awaited bill to decriminalise abortion, treat it as a health issue and reduce the legal hoops women have to go through to get access.
It’s the first major reform in the area in more than four decades and will have its first reading in Parliament on Thursday.
Under current laws, women need to get clearance from two doctors on physical or mental health grounds — a process that’s been described as stigmatising and too cumbersome.
Under the bill, women would be allowed to decide on their own until 20 weeks into their pregnancy.
Later than that, the person performing the procedure would have to “reasonably believe the abortion is appropriate with regard to the pregnant woman’s physical and mental health, and wellbeing”.
While advocates for change have welcomed the bill as a major step forward, they’ve criticised the limit.
“Why the 20-week limit? There are scans that happen around 20 weeks and this gives people little time to consider those results,” Abortion Law Reform Association of NZ president Terry Bellamak said.
“It’s not as good as it could have been, but it’s so much better than the status quo, we have to give the
Government props for that.”
Family Planning said it was disappointed there was still a legal test.
“The proposed approach isn’t what the broader health community, including Family Planning, recommended and is really a missed opportunity to put all women front and centre of the process,” chief executive Jackie Edmond said.
The Law Commission submitted three reform options for the Government to consider in October, but the legislation has been repeatedly held up, including by talks with NZ First.
The options included having no statutory test to make sure the
abortion was appropriate at any point; taking abortion out of the Crimes Act but having a statutory test; or only having a test for later-term abortions, after 22 weeks.
Advocates had been hoping for no test, but it’s been reported NZ First haggled for the 20-week rule.
Ardern defended keeping the test in the law, saying it needed to be something that could pass through Parliament in a conscience vote.
“I think this option has the greatest chance of succeeding in Parliament, and I think that’s really important because one of the [ultimate] goals has been to modernise this legalisation,”
she said. “Ultimately, it is about putting something to Parliament that has the strongest likelihood of succeeding. This issue should not be in the Crimes Act.”
The bill would also allow for the creation of 150-metre safe zones around specific clinics where people had been harassed by protesters.
Parliament will hold a conscience vote on the bill on Thursday, meaning members vote individually, rather than along party lines.
Little yesterday said he was confident the bill would pass its first reading and it was expected to become law before next year’s election.