Scoop has an Ethical Paywall
Work smarter with a Pro licence Learn More
Parliament

Gordon Campbell | Parliament TV | Parliament Today | Video | Questions Of the Day | Search

 

Shallow Collins "out of touch"

29 September, 2004

Shallow Collins "out of touch" with her own party and medical community

It is ironic for National's Judith Collins to say the Government is out of touch when her SOP to the Care of Children Bill has run foul of both her own caucus and New Zealand's medical fraternity, says Associate Justice Minister David Benson-Pope.

Mr Benson-Pope says National's caucus rejected Ms Collins' SOP as a party issue and forced it to become a conscience vote. Ms Collins had initially indicated that National was supporting her SOP as a party vote until her caucus rallied against her and National's position had to be corrected by National Party whips.

"I understand there is a large faction within National who appreciate the complexity of these issues and who see Ms Collins' agenda as an attack on both vulnerable young women and medical ethics," says Mr Benson-Pope.

"It is extraordinary that National's health spokesperson has taken up a position attacking the professional judgement and clinical experience of this country's medical professionals."

Last week the Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners and the New Zealand Medical Association, between them representing some 5000 frontline health professionals, slammed Ms Collins' SOP saying it would increase the risk of a young women delaying seeking medical attention or even force them to seek dangerous back-street or self-induced abortions. Mr Benson-Pope says as a father of a teenage daughter he understood the latest Herald-DigiPoll survey that found a majority of parents would want to know if their daughter was seeking an abortion.

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading

Are you getting our free newsletter?

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.

"Medical professionals actively encourage this and we know that almost all young women do involve their parents or other significant adults in their lives when it comes to these decisions. However, for some young women from violent, abusive and dysfunctional homes, informing their parents would put them in harms way.

"When you provide people with these facts, most agree that the law, which has worked well for almost 30 years, should not be changed. These are difficult issues. Ms Collins does no favours by trying to simplify them to sound bites and by telling half the story. The public can understand these issues when presented with all the facts," he said.

ENDS

© Scoop Media

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading
 
 
 
Parliament Headlines | Politics Headlines | Regional Headlines


Gordon Campbell: On The US Opposition To Mortgage Interest Deductibility For Landlords


Should landlords be able to deduct the interest on the loans they take out to bankroll their property speculation? The US Senate Budget Committee and Bloomberg News don't think this is a good idea, for reasons set out below. Regardless, our coalition government has been burning through a ton of political capital by giving landlords a huge $2.9 billion tax break via interest deductibility, while still preaching the need for austerity to the disabled, and to everyone else...
More


 
 

Government: Concerns Conveyed To China Over Cyber Activity
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has confirmed New Zealand’s concerns about cyber activity have been conveyed directly to the Chinese Government. “The Prime Minister and Minister Collins have expressed concerns today about malicious cyber activity... More

ALSO:


Government: GDP Decline Reinforces Government’s Fiscal Plan

Declining GDP for the December quarter reinforces the importance of restoring fiscal discipline to public spending and driving more economic growth, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says... More

ALSO:


Government: Humanitarian Support For Gaza & West Bank

Winston Peters has announced NZ is providing a further $5M to respond to the extreme humanitarian need in Gaza and the West Bank. “The impact of the Israel-Hamas conflict on civilians is absolutely appalling," he said... More


Government: New High Court Judge Appointed

Judith Collins has announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister Jason Scott McHerron as a High Court Judge. Justice McHerron graduated from the University of Otago with a BA in English Literature in 1994 and an LLB in 1996... More

 
 
 
 
 
 

LATEST HEADLINES

  • PARLIAMENT
  • POLITICS
  • REGIONAL
 
 

InfoPages News Channels


 
 
 
 

Join Our Free Newsletter

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.