Stillbirth policy gaps provide financial incentive for abortions

Abort your baby late-term and also get around $4600 from the government.  We are not making this up.  This is precisely what is happening in South Australia.

Dr Joanna Howe, a professor of law and well-known pro-life advocate, has exposed how a federal government programme to support families who have had a stillborn child is now being used by those who have deliberately chosen to abort a child late-term.

The Australian Federal government set up a Stillborn Baby Payment, which provides a $4326.57(NZD $4600) payment to parents of a stillborn child, if said child is lost after 20 weeks of gestation or weighs at least 400 grams at the time of their stillbirth.

We think this is a very positive initiative of the government, and we can appreciate the value that this payment provides both financially and in affirming the value of the child, sadly lost.

However, Dr Howe is right to be publicly calling out the terrible hypocrisy of those deliberately seeking the abortion of their late-term child and then taking taxpayer money designed to help families of stillborn, a sad and involuntary situation.

The regulations around the Stillborn Baby Payment clearly did not anticipate this situation, so those who have had an abortion and are claiming the payment are not strictly doing anything illegal.  But it is a truly ghastly situation, including for the medical staff being asked to sign off the forms.

As reported, in one case, a woman who aborted her baby was then happy to take the payment to go on a holiday to Bali. This is evidence of a deep moral corruption.  Not only the killing of a baby, but also the use of this death to profit financially.

Somewhat without reflection, pro-abortion advocates are saying this payment is required due to the impact abortion can have on the woman.  We say “without reflection” for in stating this, abortion advocates are admitting that there are detrimental impacts on women having an abortion (not to mention the baby!).

This is truly a ghastly and awful situation.  We can only hope that the advocacy of pro-life groups in Australia sees this loophole closed.

Written by Family First staff