New Zealand's abortion statistics were described as ''an abomination'' in a speech in Parliament last night.

In the debate on a conscience issue ACT MP Owen Jennings said current levels of over 40 abortions each and every day are a national disgrace and a blight on the nation.

"Parliament has the responsibility to protect life, especially the life of the defenceless.

"New Zealand's abortion levels were higher than most developed countries and was rising.

"New Zealanders need to wake up to the fact that the current attitudes toward and methods of contraception are a miserable failure.

"It is time to kick out the ideological driven approach to safe sex and bring in some common sense. Young people need to know the truth of the failure rate of condoms, contraception pills and other methods.

"It is time to tell the truth about the after effects of abortion too. The emotional scars run deep and last a lifetime.

"Parliament is shirking its responsibilities continuing with legislation that everyone agrees is not working. Abortion on demand is unacceptable. The law needs reviewing urgently," Owen Jennings said.

Ends

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Gordon Campbell: On the Sony cyber attack

Given the layers of meta-irony involved, the saga of the Sony cyber attack seemed at the outset more like a snarky European art film than a popcorn entry at the multiplex.

Yet now with (a) President Barack Obama weighing in on the side of artistic freedom and calling for the US to make a ‘proportionate response’quickly followed by (b) North Korea’s entire Internet service going down, and with both these events being followed by (c) Sony deciding to backtrack and release The Interview film that had made it a target for the dastardly North Koreans in the first place, then ay caramba…the whole world will now be watching how this affair pans out. More>>