Treading dangerous ground

Family Planning are misleading the public in relation to proposed abortion law reform; any decriminalisation of abortion will lead to more late-term abortions.

Currently the Crimes Act allows for an abortion after 20 weeks’ gestation only if it is necessary to save the life of the woman or prevent serious permanent injury to her physical or mental health. Official Information Act statistics show that 800 lateterm abortions have been performed over the last 10 years where there was no danger to the physical health or life of the mother.

The three models for abortion law reform put forward by the Law Commission would all remove this time limit, and would allow abortion up to birth for any or no reason. Most disturbingly, Model A — the most extreme option which allows abortion on demand up to birth with no statutory test — is being lobbied for by radical abortion pressure group ALRANZ and Family Planning.

Independent polling of New Zealanders released last year found significant support for stricter time limits on abortion, including from those who generally support abortion. There was surprisingly small support for the current Crimes Act time limit being as long as 20 weeks, and overwhelming rejection of any extension to the limit, as lobbied for by proabortion groups — and now recommended by the Law Commission.

The Law Commission received almost 3500 submissions regarding the abortion law review, and of those submissions, just 18 per cent — less than one in five — supported removing abortion from the Crimes Act. A large majority (69 per cent) opposed, with 49 per cent specifically supporting retaining the Crimes Act status for abortion, and a further 20 per cent argued for the legal protection of the unborn child.

Despite that strong voice, the Law Commission created dangerous ground for the unborn child by recommending the repeal of abortion from the Crimes Act, and thereby also removing the time limits.

These are the facts. The other fact is that social justice begins in the womb.

BOB MCCOSKRIE National director

Family First