In the lead up to the NSW election, Leesha McKenny (SMH, Feb. 16, 2011 ) has reported that 'Leaders reject abortion change' - the title of her article.
According to the SMH, Premier Kristina Keneally has told a forum of Christian leaders at Parliament House, that her government "will not pursue decriminalising abortion in NSW".
MS Keneally was also asked about whether NSW might adopt legislation similar to that in South Australia, which keeps more detailed records of abortion data and statistics. She revealed that NSW collects some data but that it is not made public and that she "had concerns about privacy issues, about how the data is collected and how it is interpreted". Ms Keneally did not dismiss that similar measures might be considered in NSW in the future and said that "as a nation we need better information to inform this debate".
The article described the response of the Opposition Leader, Barry O'Farrell who also stated that "his party similarly had no plans to seek the decriminalisation of abortion" and that "Any abortion vote in Parliament would be a conscience vote for members of his party".
This comment by Mr. O'Farrell is of little comfort to pro life advocates who witnessed the change of legislation in Victoria which now allows (legal) abortion up until birth! This extreme Victorian legislation was passed by a conscience vote, with the rejection of sixty amendments that were designed to add at least some protection for babies and women.
David Hutt from the Australian Christian Lobby told The SMH that "The invitation only event was an opportunity for the leaders to make their case to the Christian community on various issues before the state election on March 26."
Christian leaders "from a cross-section of denominations" were represented at the forum in Sydney.
Comments
This law obviously provides no protection for pre term babies, as abortion in NSW is in practice an unrestricted act.
It appears that this law allows various political leaders to claim to a pro lifer audience that they support abortion being illegal, and so attract the pro life vote, while actually allowing the unrestricted practice of abortion to rampage on.
I believe it is not possible to be everybody's friend, and to attempt to achieve this over the deliberate death of pre term babies is rather pathetic.