An Irish abortion referendum raises questions on why NZ is still waiting, BUT…..
Stuff co.nz 14 March 2018
Family First Comment: Pro-life advocates Family First NZ said these results confirm “the Labour government has no mandate at all to liberalise the abortions laws”. “The vast majority of the population – including people who generally support abortion – show strong support and acceptance of the current legal framework and the presence of safeguards around issues such as coercion, standards for providers, and informed consent,” spokeswoman Marina Young said on its website.
Here in New Zealand, legislation hasn’t been altered since 1977 – abortion is still a crime if not approved of by two specifically certified medical consultants.
They must believe that carrying the child to term would endanger the physical or mental health of the mother, or the child is the result of incest, or the mother is “severely subnormal”, or the child is at risk of being “seriously handicapped”.
Justice Minister Andrew Little told Stuff in January that Labour wanted to “modernise” the laws and see abortion treated as a health issue – not a criminal one.
Little has given the Law Commission eight months to conduct a review and report back to him proposed alterations to the law.
However, an independent poll of New Zealanders conducted by Curia Market Research in December 2017 found significant support for greater time limits on abortion, including from those who generally support abortion.
There was only small support for the current Crimes Act time limit of 20 weeks, and overwhelming rejection of any extension to the limit. There was also strong support for legal safeguards.
Pro-life advocates Family First NZ said these results confirm “the Labour government has no mandate at all to liberalise the abortions laws”.
“The vast majority of the population – including people who generally support abortion – show strong support and acceptance of the current legal framework and the presence of safeguards around issues such as coercion, standards for providers, and informed consent,” spokeswoman Marina Young said on its website.
Of the 1013 New Zealanders polled just 9 per cent supported the current legal limit for an abortion of 20 weeks. Fifty per cent indicated the time limit should be shorter than the current 20 weeks, and a further 36 per cent were unsure. Of those who did pick a time limit, 15 weeks was the median choice, according to Curia.
Only 4 per cent believed it should be later than 20 weeks, including up to birth, as proposed by pro-abortion group, the Abortion Law Reform Association of New Zealand (ALRANZ).
READ MORE: https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/102130614/an-irish-abortion-referendum-raises-questions-why-nz-is-still-waiting
