A Woman's Right To Choose Rejected By Carnell

Wayne Berry - Member for Ginninderra

Media Statement - 21 October 1999

Labor MLA Wayne Berry today moved to prevent the narrow views of anti-abortion crusaders being inflicted on ACT women who want to end a pregnancy. Mr Berry's action followed the tabling in the Assembly of another set of foetal pictures to be given to women seeking an abortion.

This embarrassing correction was required when it was found that the original information proposed by Liberal anti-abortion crusaders, Ministers Gary Humphries and Brendan Smyth, was wrong.

"Ministers Humphries and Smyth have embarked on a moral crusade aimed at inflicting their own views on women who want to end a pregnancy - but they blundered. The blunder highlights the need to stop these unqualified politicians from interfering with women's rights because of their narrow view and gave me the opportunity to seek to have the offensive pictures removed.

"I moved to amend the Maternal Health Information Regulations 1999 to restrict politicians to operating within the clearly defined intentions of the Health Regulations (Maternal Health Information) Act.

"The Health Regulations (Maternal Health Information) Act clearly vests the responsibility for the approved information in the independent expert panel and the Humphries/Smyth blunder demonstrated once again that the responsibility should stay with the panel.

"For many years the Chief Minister has claimed to be 'pro-choice' and I called on her to demonstrate her 'pro-choice' position by supporting my move to amend the Maternal Health Information Regulations 1999.

As a health professional Kate Carnell should understand the reasons for the Assembly referring the preparation of abortion information to an expert panel, and she should respect the opinion of the panel which said:

  • 'It is the unanimous view of the panel that the presentation of pictures or drawings of foetuses is irrelevant and in some cases could be counterproductive and cloud the issues.'

"I am deeply concerned that once again the Chief Minister has refused to join other 'pro-choice' MLAs who recognise that they have no role in inflicting their views on women or their doctors. Only one vote was needed to stop this crusade but Mrs Carnell failed the test," Mr Berry concluded.