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

 

Minister of Justice seeks review of abortion laws

Minister of Justice seeks review of abortion laws to make killing of unborn a health service
Media Release 28 February 2018

Abortion is violence against women and their unborn.

Right to Life, in defence of mothers and their unborn, deplores the decision of the Minister of Justice, Andrew Little, to refer the abortion laws to the Law Commission for review. The killing of the unborn is a crime, it is not a health issue. It has been in the Crimes Act since 1856. It is the Minister’s intention to legislate, that the killing of the unborn is no longer a crime but a health service; this is an appalling injustice to women and their precious unborn. It is also his intention to remove expectant mothers and their unborn from the protection of the Crimes Act.

This proposal will effectively mean that those unborn who are classified as unwanted will be deprived of the protection of the Crimes Act and allowed to be killed. However the unborn children who are classified as wanted will retain the protection of the Crimes Act and of the state. This is an abhorrent and unprecedented violation of human rights, it is discrimination against the most vulnerable members of our human family! Today the Minister moves the unborn from the protection of the Crimes Act, tomorrow perhaps those with dementia and Alzheimers.

Any review should be seeking increased legal protection for the health and welfare of women and the right to life of the unborn. It should also be enquiring into why more than 500,000 innocent and defenceless unborn children have been killed in their mother’s wombs since 1978 under a law which was intended to protect their right to life.

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.

The government has no mandate for this ill-advised and unjust review. The review is being driven by the Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern, who believes that the killing of the unborn should not be a crime. She also believes that abortion criminalises women. The Prime Minister, in response to a recent official Information Act request from Right to Life, disclosed that she had no evidence to support her claims. Why then is the Prime Minister directing the Minister of Justice to conduct a review that has no mandate and cannot be justified in law or by evidence?

The Prime Minister is being inconsistent in her passionate concern for child poverty, the ultimate child poverty is to be deprived of your life before birth. On one hand she is commendably concerned about reducing child poverty for the born child and on the other hand she is promoting the ultimate child poverty with the killing of the unborn.

Ken Orr

Spokesperson,

Right to Life

© 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.