Rebecca DiGirolamo’s article in the Sunday Mail revealed why Tammy Franks’ Abortion Law Reform Bill must be rejected.
Her excellent summary of the laws in all other jurisdictions shows that the Bill proposed by MP Tammy Franks and the Greens will be the most extreme in Australia. DiGirolamo accurately said the bill would “remove legal gestation limits (read abortion up to and including birth) for termination and remove the two-practitioner rule.”
The two-practitioner rule will be replaced by no rule at all i.e. a no-practitioner rule. There will be no abortion-specific regulations at all in SA as the activist coalition has correctly tweeted, “New abortion law in SA, no qualifications, no upper time limits, no abortion-specific regulations at all.”
The article also significantly undermines Franks’ claim that one in three women will have an abortion in their lifetime by noting only 8.2% of SA women will terminate a pregnancy in their lifetime. If DiGirolamo is correct, the basis of Franks’ bill is undermined.
DiGirolamo courageously referred to the case of “Leah” who terminated an early pregnancy 11 years ago and regrets her decision. As “Leah” is quoted as saying; “11 years later and I still have days where I am grieving that child.” This is critical evidence. Abortion grief is real.
The Franks’ bill removes any chance of women hearing an independent voice before they make this most difficult decision.
Finally, the article brings to light that there are over 4,000 abortions per year in South Australia.
That is more than 80 per week. That is 80 women every week who have to go through a most intense and difficult decision.
Surely, we as a community should at least be providing these women with alternatives and support.
Isn’t it time we allowed them to here different voices rather than taking away any chance of support?
Thanks, Rebecca, for bringing these issues to light.
