Over three hundred Tasmanians have attended a forum in Hobart to hear how decriminalising abortion in the state would have devastating effects on the rights of the unborn and the consciences of doctors and counsellors.
The forum held at Hobart Town Hall was in response to the Health Minister Michelle O’Byrne’s private Members bill to allow unfettered abortion up to 24 weeks and after 24 weeks with the consent of two doctors.
Amanda-Sue Markham chaired the event and said it was an informative discussion for those who attended.
“The audience heard from Senior Lecturer in Law at the University of Tasmania Michael Stokes, GP Dr Helen Lord, Anne Sherston from Rachel’s Vineyard and Michael Ferguson MP,” she said.
She said Mr Stokes believes that the Act is a mess.
“The Act is a dog’s breakfast and its relationship to the Criminal Code, especially on key issues such as informed consent, is complex and poorly defined.
“The provision requiring a medical practitioner or a counsellor who has a conscientious objection to abortion to refer to another practitioner is discriminatory and punitive,” he said.
“It is discriminatory because doctors who refuse a termination other than on grounds of conscience do not have a similar legal duty to refer, although they may have an ethical duty so to do. Similarly, doctors who have a conscientious objection to other forms of treatment do not have a legal duty to refer the patient to another practitioner. It is punitive because the fine, 500 penalty units ($65,000), is out of all proportion to the seriousness of the offence.”
GP Dr Helen Lord believes the medical realities of abortion should not be ignored.
“The medical reality of the proposed legislation is that normal viable babies will be aborted on demand. In order for late terminations to be performed the baby may have to be killed first, before the process of labour begins and this will be perfectly legal under this legislation” she said.
Anne Sherston from Rachel’s Vineyard which is a healing retreat set up to help women and men overcome the painful effects of an abortion experience shared on the impact of abortion on women/men.
“Abortion is not a victimless procedure without a downside. I know, both from personal experience and the experience of thousands of others, that the heart-wrenching, life-changing reality has many downsides. The choice to have an abortion is never made from a place of freedom because there is always coercion from some direction. I don’t believe that the mental and physical health of the women who have gone through an abortion has been thoroughly been considered,” she said.
Michael Ferguson MP discussed the practicalities of stopping the legislation.
“The process in which this draft bill has been introduced has been nothing short of disgraceful. There are so many unanswered questions,” he said.
“If it is a private member’s bill from Michelle O’Byrne then why has it been developed and advertised by a government department? Why, with such a controversial issue, were the public only given two weeks for comment? How will the submissions be analysed and by whom? Why is it that external organisations are in the media talking about the content and number of submissions before any public disclosure? Will there be a report produced?
“The public is not happy. I have had over 390 emails telling me so and I encourage people to keep them coming – to all MPs of both houses. The community is demanding answers to these questions and my feeling is that both pro-choice and pro-life people are coming to a consensus that this bill should be rejected,” he said.
