Scoop has an Ethical Paywall
License needed for work use Register
Parliament

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

 

Don Brash backs Judith Collins on parents' rights


Don Brash MP National Party Leader

30 September 2004

Don Brash backs Judith Collins on parents' rights

National Party Leader Don Brash is lending his support to a bid by Judith Collins to ensure that parents are told if their underage daughter seeks an abortion.

"When an abortion is carried out every four days on girls aged between 11 and 14 in this country, it's time to consider whether the current law is working," he says.

"Most of the critics of Judith Collins' proposal conveniently choose to ignore the critical judicial opt-out clause, which is an inherent part of her amendment. This would still give young girls from abusive backgrounds the ability to keep news of the abortion from their parents.

"National's caucus is overwhelmingly in support of this law change, and I will certainly be casting my vote in favour of the proposal. I'm quite sure a number of Labour MPs would also support the new law if they were given the freedom of a conscience vote.

"Labour claims that this is an attack on the integrity of health professionals, but in reality it is a vote of confidence in responsible parents. Several medical professionals have been in contact with me making it clear that on this issue, their industry associations do not speak for them.

"In jurisdictions where parental notification is mandatory, not only have teenage abortions fallen, but so too have teenage pregnancies. That is surely something our society should work towards," says Dr Brash.

ENDS

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.

© Scoop Media

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

Gordon Campbell: On The Government’s Smokefree Laws Debacle

The most charitable explanation for National’s behaviour over the smokefree legislation is that they have dutifully fulfilled the wishes of the Big Tobacco lobby and then cast around for excuses that might sell this health policy U-turn to the public. The less charitable view is that the government was being deliberately misleading. Are we to think Prime Minister Christopher Luxon is a fool or a liar? It seems rather early on in his term of office to be facing that unpleasant choice... More


 
 
Public Housing Futures: Christmas Comes Early For Landlords

New CTU analysis of the National & ACT coalition agreement has shown the cost of returning interest deductibility to landlords is an extra $900M on top of National’s original proposal. This is because it is going to be implemented earlier and faster, including retrospective rebates from April 2023. More


Green Party: Petition To Save Oil & Gas Ban

“The new Government’s plan to expand oil and gas exploration is as dangerous as it is unscientific. Whatever you think about the new government, there is simply no mandate to trash the climate. We need to come together to stop them,” says James Shaw. More

PSA: MFAT Must Reverse Decision To Remove Te Reo

MFAT's decision to remove te reo from correspondence before new Ministers are sworn in risks undermining the important progress the public sector has made in honouring te Tiriti. "We are very disappointed in what is a backward decision - it simply seems to be a Ministry bowing to the racist rhetoric we heard on the election campaign trail," says Marcia Puru. 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.