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ACT Right to Life AssociationMEDIA RELEASE |
Call on MLAs to reject Wayne Berry's radical
abortion legislation
President of the ACT Right to Life Association, Mary Joseph, today urged Members of the
Legislative Assembly to reject Labor MLA Wayne Berry's radical abortion legislation, which
he is expected to introduce into the ACT Legislative Assembly today. The legislation would
both repeal the Health Regulation (Maternal Health Information) Act and the
restrictions on abortion in the Crimes Act.
"If passed, this legislation would abolish all safeguards for women considering an
abortion and all restrictions on the practice of abortion. Women and their unborn children
will have no protection from a hasty decision. The ACT would be the first jurisdiction in
Australia to have no laws dealing with abortion", said Ms Joseph.
"The world Wayne Berry foreshadows in his legislation is one where unborn children
can be aborted up to the moment of birth without any restriction. It is a world where
women will be denied the protections of informed consent information and the mandatory 72-
hour cooling off period so that they don't make a hasty decision or a decision under
pressure from others. A world where abortion statistics are banned so that the social
problem of abortion is hidden from the community.
"The abortion rate in the ACT is 1 abortion for every 2.5 live births, so it is vital
that government recognise its responsibilities to women and their unborn children-not
abandon them.
"Why is Wayne Berry so keen to clear any obstacle to abortion, yet he shows such
little interest in helping women find positive alternatives to abortion? Where is the
compassion in this surgical solution?" Ms Joseph asked.
"This radical social experiment is not what Canberrans want."
Issued: 12 December 2001
Contact: Mary Joseph, president of the ACT Right to Life Association Inc, telephone
02 6253 3100.
