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

Gordon Campbell | Parliament TV | Parliament Today | News Video | Crime | Employers | Housing | Immigration | Legal | Local Govt. | Maori | Welfare | Unions | Youth | Search

 

Voice For Life Marks New Zealand's Abortion Rate


Voice For Life Marks New Zealand's Abortion Rate

The 30th anniversary of the Contraception, Sterilisation and Abortion Act (CS&A Act) has been marked by a gathering of approximately 60 members of Voice For Life outside Parliament today.


Voice For Life outside Parliament

A series of posters recorded the number of abortions per year, for each of the 30 years since the Act became law. These posters were held aloft, some by young people whose year of birth corresponded to the year on the poster.

In 1977 when the legislation was passed, the CS&A Act promised to regulate and reconcile the divisive issue of abortion which existed at that time. The Act provided for the circumstances and procedures under which abortions may be authorized: but only, "after having full regard for the rights of the unborn child."

Whatever the good intentions of this legislation, the Abortion Supervisory Committee later acknowledged that abortion is available on demand.

In marking this 30th anniversary, Voice For Life draws attention to the 373,965 unborn who have lost their lives to abortion since the law was enacted. This number equates to the combined populations of Whangarei, Gisborne, New Plymouth, Wanganui, Palmerston North, Nelson, Greymouth, Hokitika, Ashburton and Timaru.

In 1978, 2,094 abortions were recorded in New Zealand. Thirty years later, the figures have soared to 17,934 - a rate of one every 30 minutes. New Zealand arguably has the highest rate of abortion amongst the OECD countries, with two pregnancies in every nine ending in abortion. Approximately one third of abortions are performed on women who have already had at least one previous 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.

In marking this anniversary, Voice For Life seeks to highlight the failure of the medical profession to honour the intention of the law, which was to protect the unborn child and to permit those rare cases when the crime of killing an unborn child might be excused.

"At the current rate of one every 30 minutes, abortion in New Zealand cannot be described as 'safe, legal and rare'. We believe there are practical alternatives and support for anyone contemplating abortion," said Mrs Annetta Moran, President of Voice For Life, as she addressed the gathering in Wellington today.

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.