Concern over abortion law in Queensland continues, as the Law Reform Commission reviews the Termination of Pregnancy Laws in Queensland and deliberates over new legislation.
In addition to starting a petition rejecting the push to remove all restraint on abortion in Queensland, the Australian Christian Lobby has written a submission in response to the Commission’s Consultation Paper which posed several questions relating to existing policy and invited public comment. Topics under discussion include:
- Who should be permitted to perform abortions in Queensland?
- What gestational limits should apply?
- What requirements for consultation should apply?
- Should medical and health practitioners be able to exercise prerogatives of conscientious objection with regard to referrals for abortion?
- What counselling should be required?
- Should exclusion zones be established around abortion clinics to limit protest?
- Should Queensland collect and publish anonymized data about abortions performed in the state?
At the same time as Queensland considers aborting babies up until birth, the pro-life movement is gathering new momentum as unprecedented numbers of people – particularly young people – attend Pro-life marches around the world.
With advances in neo-natal care, gestational periods to infant viability continue to decrease. Any rational basis for the view that aborted fetuses are not babies has all but disappeared given babies now survive at gestations when abortion is practiced.
Scientific evidence now demonstrates that unborn babies feel pain from at least 20 weeks gestation. Yet there are people who continue to argue that it is okay to terminate the lives of babies who clearly feel pain and would be viable outside the womb.
The testimonies of aborted women who regret their decision add fuel to pro-life/pro-woman arguments that vulnerable women need support, not abortion. Former abortion workers and under-cover journalists have exposed the revenue-generating motivations of the abortion clinics, calling into question the authenticity of the concern for women claimed by the most vociferous advocates of the ‘pro-choice’ movement.
Mounting evidence supports what only modern western sophistication would deny – that an unborn baby is human, infinitely precious, extraordinarily vulnerable and that women facing pregnancy crisis need friends, counselling, support, options and time to consider.
Nevertheless, pressure to relax the laws governing access to abortion in Queensland continues to build. Two Bills presented to Parliament by former MP Robert Pyne were too ill-considered to garner support even from those in favour of abortion to birth. In February 2017 both Bills were withdrawn and the matter referred to the Queensland Law Reform Commission (http://www.qlrc.qld.gov.au/current-reviews). The Commission has been asked to make recommendations and draft legislation based on those recommendations. The Commission will report by 30th June 2018.
You can read ACL’s submission here.
Sign the petition rejecting the campaign to remove all restraint on abortion in QLD.
