Dan Flynn is the Victorian Director of the ACL. In this interview with the ACL's Katherine Spackman he talks about petitions that have been tabled in the Victorian Parliament calling for an amendment to the Abortion Law Reform Act to allow doctors' conscientious objections. The Victorian State Liberal Council also passed a motion recently supporting doctors' conscience.

This year's March for the Babies will be held on Saturday 12th October.



The March has been held each year in Victoria since 2009, and is in response to the Abortion Law Reform Act passed in 2008 in Victoria, which makes abortion available for any reason up to 24 weeks. After that time a woman can obtain an abortion if two doctors agree – the reasons that can be used not only cover life and health issues – they include “social circumstances” as well.



Last year, over 3,500 people marched through the Melbourne CBD calling for a change of culture for the unborn and a repeal of the Victorian legislation, considered to be one of the most extreme abortion laws in the Western world.



If you are in Victoria, we encourage you to join in the March for the Babies this October.



Details:



When: Saturday 12th October 2013



Time: 1pm



Where: meet at Treasury Gardens, corner of Spring Street and Wellington Parade, Melbourne



Wear: pink and blue



For more information, please visit the official March for the Babies website.

All Victorians are encouraged to attend this year's March for the Babies (MFTB) on the 12th of October.



MFTB was established with the assistance of pro-life groups throughout Victoria in response to the passing of radical legislation in 2008 - the Abortion Law Reform Act - which eliminated all legal protection for Victorian children until birth.



This means that a woman can obtain an abortion after 24 weeks and until the moment of birth, if any two medical practitioners confirm the abortion is appropriate. Reasons includes not only life and health issues, but "social circumstances" as well. Such provisions have created an environment of abortion on demand in the state.



MFTB's goal is to see this legislation overturned, and to express to the government their disapproval at failing to protect the fundamental right to life of every unborn child, as well as protecting freedom of conscience for Victorian health care professionals.



ACL's Victorian Director Dan Flynn had an opinion piece published about Victoria's abortion law and the MFTB event in Online Opinion after last year's event, which saw around 3,500 participants. Read the piece here.



Make your stance against this extreme abortion law by participating in the March:



When: Saturday 12th October 2013



Where: meet at the corner of Spring St and Wellington Pde, Melbourne



Time: 1pm



Wear: Pink or blue to show your support



Email: marchforthebabies@gmail.com for all enquiries



To find out more, please visit the official March for the Babies website or download the brochure here.

After a dramatic day in Victorian politics, the Hon. Dr Denis Napthine was installed as Premier last night at Government House.



The new Premier now leads the Victorian Government with a majority of 44 to 43, relying on the vote of the now Independent MP Geoff Shaw to pass legislation, including supply.



The Australian Christian Lobby maintains strong bi-partisan relationships with politicians in Victoria and will continue to engage with Members of Parliament to advance issues for the Christian constituency in this new landscape.



The Victorian Director, Dan Flynn, has today written to former Premier Ted Baillieu acknowledging his substantial contribution to Victoria as Premier. ACL enjoyed a good relationship with Ted Baillieu who addressed the Make it Count Forum ahead of the 2010 Election.



Similarly, we look forward to working with Premier Napthine on issues important to the Christian constituency.



The issue of moderating the provisions of the Abortion Law Reform Act 2008 to reduce the number of abortions in Victoria, and better reflect public consensus, continues to be a concern for Victorian Christians.

 



ACL's Victorian Director Dan Flynn has had an opinion piece published in Online Opinion entitled Not marching for baby fish.



The March for the Babies event held in Melbourne over the weekend was a visual demonstration that Victoria's abortion laws are out of step with community sentiment - there was a huge turnout of almost 4,000 people who marched for the right to life of every child.



You can read Mr Flynn's article via the link above, or see below for a copy.



Thousands of Victorians marched through Melbourne's CBD on Saturday. Why? Who needs their protection?



This month snapper commence their annual migration into Port Philip Bay. These fish are highly prized by recreational anglers and in accordance with sustainable fisheries priorities Fisheries Officers will enforce size limits to protect juvenile fish.



If you are caught taking or being in possession of an undersized snapper it will be returned to the water and you can expect an infringement notice. If your offending involves numerous undersized fish, they will be returned to the water and you can expect to be charged, face court and be fined or worse. Something in a previous life I was employed to ensure.



Tragically, unborn babies in Victoria are not afforded the same protection as our undersized fish.



In 2007, the then Premier John Brumby announced that Victoria's abortion laws were "out of step with community sentiment" and he commenced a process that lead to the liberalisation of abortion law.



The Abortion Law Reform Act 2008 now provides that abortion may be performed by a medical practitioner up to twenty four weeks without reference to any criteria. Abortion after twenty four weeks and up until the moment of birth, can be performed after confirmation by any two medical practitioners that the abortion is appropriate, having regard to all relevant medical circumstances and the women's current and future physical, psychological and social circumstances.



These provisions have created an environment of abortion on request. It is estimated, based on Medicare statistics that approximately 20,000 abortions occur in Victoria each year.



The 2009 Annual Report of the Consultative Council on Obstetric and Paediatric Mortality and Morbidity (CCOPMM) released in June 2012 reveals that from a total of 410 post twenty week abortions, 210 were performed on babies without physical defects, including ten undertaken after twenty eight weeks. Children at this stage of gestation are certainly capable of surviving outside the womb.



The 2010 report of CCOPMM revealed 345 late-term babies were killed in 2007 and that fifty four of them were still alive after the abortion procedure.



This lead then MLC Peter Kavanagh to try to set up an investigation into the cases of the fifty four babies who survived their abortion and were subsequently left to die. The questions he wanted answered related to what efforts were made to ensure those children had the best possible healthcare and opportunity to live. The motion was defeated. Mr Kavanagh was described in Parliament as "disgusting" for even raising the issue.



However, when the federal Parliamentary Group on Population and Development told a Senate Inquiry in 2008 that public funding of abortion was needed because the birth of babies with disabilities would be a burden on the budget, it is hard to expect much sympathy for the situation of the unborn in certain sections of our parliaments.



Fortunately for those who do not understand the importance and relevance of this issue a documentary will be released next month entitled "The Voice of John". This film will discuss the reality of babies born alive after abortions. In The Voice of John the humanity of the unborn will be made real -"one small voice will speak for millions."



Public sentiment is moving away from abortion as the answer to unexpected and initially unwanted pregnancies or crisis pregnancies as they're called. Financial support, medical treatment, accommodation and care are now commonly being identified as better solutions.



Fuller analysis of why women have abortions may uncover options that make provision for mother and child to co-exist and prosper.



In submissions to a Victorian Parliamentary review of the Victorian Charter of Human Rights in July 2011, the Melbourne Archbishop Denis Hart and the bishops of Ballarat and Sale, argued that the Charter gave "inadequate protection for the right to life, including the right to life of the child before birth".



This deep concern of the Church for the unborn was reflected again in a speech by Archbishop Dr Peter Jensen last week, when he said: "What sort of society is it that kills 100,000 children in the womb each year?"



The estimated 3,500 Victorians who marched through the Melbourne CBD on Saturday to marked the 4th anniversary of the introduction of the Abortion Law Reform Act called for a change of culture and legislation. They marched for numerous reasons, including compassion for the women whose children have been aborted; women who have been failed by society in the provision of practical and emotional assistance.



The March was a peaceful witness to life and a visual demonstration that Victoria's abortion laws are "out of step with community sentiment", that surely values the life of a child over a fish.

 On 10 October 2008, the Victorian Parliament passed the Abortion Law Reform Act, one of the most extreme abortion laws in the world. This law eliminated all legal protection for Victorian children until the moment of birth.



The March for the Babies Committee was established with the assistance of representatives from leading pro-life groups throughout Victoria and on 10 October 2009 organised the first march to commemorate the passing of the Abortion Law Reform Act 2008 one year earlier. In remembrance of this shameful day, we gather to March for the Babies who never see the light of day in Victoria.



The march occurs each October on or around the 10th, calling for the repeal of the law which allows babies to be killed right up until the moment of birth and is the most extreme in the Western world.



Together we express our profound disapproval at our Government's failure to:

• Protect the fundamental right of life of every person in our State.



• Offer real help to women in crisis pregnancies and other who have suffered through abortion.



• Allow freedom of conscience for our health care professionals.

Our goal is to overturn this terrible law and provide full legal protection to our most vulnerable Victorians.



Please join us as we march in this peaceful witness to life from Treasury Gardens to Parliament House and hear inspirational speakers and music with a message of courage and hope.



**Please note: above content written by March for the Babies Committee**



Details of this year's march:



When: Saturday 13th October 2012



Where: Treasury Gardens (starting at the south-west corner — Spring Street and Wellington Parade), Melbourne



Time: 1pm



For more information, please visit the March for the Babies website.

March for the Babies is on Saturday 13 October 2012. The March is in response to the Abortion Law Reform Act passed in 2008 in Victoria, which makes abortion available for any reason up to birth. After that time a woman can obtain an abortion if two doctors agree – the reasons that can be used not only cover life and health issues – they include “social circumstances” as well.



The March commences at 1pm from Treasury Gardens and will feature an address from Lord Nicholas Windsor. The organizers are targeting an attendance of 20,000 to send a clear message to the Victorian Parliament that “we the people” demand right for the unborn child.



The March for the Babies Committee also invites anyone to attend its inaugural March for the Babies Oration Dinner with Lord Nicholas Windsor on the eve of the March, Friday 12^th October 2012. The dinner commences at 7pm and will be held at the Sofitel Melbourne On Collins Grand Ballroom. Please visit the website for more details.