THE FAMILY PARTY
www.familyparty.org.nz

STATEMENT FOR RELEASE

18 August 2008

Family Party: Abortion culture demands political leadership

The Family Party has criticized the inaction of the Abortion Supervisory Committee in response to the High Court ruling issued by Justice Forrest Miller with regards to their statutory obligations towards pregnant women and unborn children.

Deputy Leader Paul Adams says as a statutory body, the Committee is failing to fulfil its basic duty to ensure abortion practices and procedures are lawful.

“I have been concerned for many years at the flagrant approach that has been taken towards abortion in our country, to the point where we have culture of ‘abortion on demand.’ I was heartened by the judgement of Justice Miller earlier this year, which I had hoped would initiate a responsible response from the Abortion Supervisory Committee. So it is very disappointing to learn of the Committee’s apparent disregard for this most important and timely ruling,” says Mr Adams.

On 9th June in the Wellington High Court Justice Miller stated that, “there is reason to doubt the lawfulness of many abortions authorised by certifying consultants. Indeed the Committee itself has stated that the law is being used more liberally than Parliament intended… In my opinion, the statistics and the Committee’s comments over the years since the Court of Appeal made that observation do give rise to powerful misgivings about the lawfulness of many abortions. They tend to confirm Dr Christine Forster’s view that New Zealand essentially has abortion on request.”

Justice Miller went on to say, “the Committee does in fact have the power to require certifying consultants to keep records and report on cases they have considered. The Committee also had the duty to hold consultants accountable for the lawfulness of the abortions they authorised and for the use of the mental health grounds used to authorise 98% of abortions.”

“We cannot continue to divorce the national epidemic of domestic violence and child abuse from the issue of abortion in our country. But nothing will change until bold political leadership takes hold of this most critical issue, for the right to life for the unborn child. Which is why the Family Party is treating the abortion issue very seriously at this Election,” Mr Adams added.

ENDS

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