Undemocratic Attack on Civil Liberties

Human Rights for the Unborn – Tasmania
April 12, 2013

Human Rights for the Unborn – Tasmania has declared the revised Reproductive Health Bill an undemocratic attack on civil liberties.

The revised Bill, tabled yesterday, includes minor concessions in exchange for radical infringements of freedom.

“It creates special police powers, including to detain and search and to arrest without warrant, specifically targetting those who have a conscientious objection to abortion,” said the group’s northern coordinator, Mishka Gora.

“Can you imagine if another group in our community were singled out in this way? Can you imagine if anti-war or anti-logging protesters were the victims of specific legislation making their otherwise lawful and peaceful behaviour an offence in zones where a particular business happens to be operating?”

“If this law is passed,” Mrs Gora noted, “parishioners of St Joseph’s Catholic Church won’t be able to hold a protest against abortion on the doorstep of their own church.”

“Why should the police be assigned special powers to intimidate members of the community who desire to protect mothers and their children from harm?”

Changes to the Reproductive Health Bill also allow women to have abortions up to birth for ‘social’ and ‘economic’ reasons.

“The requirements are contradictory,” Mrs Gora pointed out. “ Two doctors have to sign off on abortions over 16 weeks, which implies the abortion has to be required for medical reasons, but the legislation allows social and economic reasons, so why is a doctor required? A doctor isn’t a financial planner or social worker. This is, in effect, a loophole to allow abortion on demand.”

The revised legislation still makes it an offence for counsellors to exercise their conscientious objection to abortion.

“And it’s not just professionals we’re talking about,” added Clare Williams, the southern coordinator for Human Rights for the Unborn – Tasmania. “A counsellor is defined as anyone who provides advice about pregnancy options, whether paid or not, whether or not the woman is even thinking about an abortion. So this means that an unpaid volunteer who is asked for advice about continuing a pregnancy can be fined $32,500 for not referring her to someone who supports abortion. That’s disgraceful!”
Mishka Gora, Human Rights for the Unborn – Tasmania