ABORTION FIRESTORM REIGNITES

Late last year I predicted that Prime Minister John Howard would find it very difficult to put the abortion genie back into the bottle and, unfortunately, the debate has now re-ignited and is roaring out of control. As soon Howard’s back was turned – he was overseas, first in Davos and then visiting Singapore and Acheh – his ministers and backbenchers went to work to get the issue back onto the front line. Tony Abbott, the Health Minister, is of course the driving force behind the push back into the headlines but he is being assisted by deputy prime minister John Anderson and National Party Senator Ron Boswell. There is growing support from across the political divide for a “debate” on the subject of late-term abortions. Earlier this week in Sydney a meeting of anti-abortion MPs from all the parties plotted how to get more “information” to fuel the issue. This meeting was sent a message of support by Tony Abbott. So much for him having supposedly been disciplined by the Prime Minister for raising the issue last year. It is now time for Howard to sack Abbott for his utterly unacceptable use of his portfolio to push his religious convictions. Anything less means that Howard is an implicit accomplice in this push to deny Australian women the right to choose when and if they have babies.
The reaction of the new Labor Leader, Kim Beazley, was predictably disappointing and an example of his total inability to understand the politics of a situation. Instead of drawing attention to Abbott’s defying of the Prime Minister’s wishes – while he was visiting tsunami victims, no less – Big Kim merely reminded us all that he is opposed to abortion too. Kim, your views are not the issue here. As a party leader it is your responsibility to know and represent the views of the majority of your members and they, like the population in general, are utterly opposed to any restrictions on women’s right to choose. It is salutary that it is only men who are pushing this, only men who are worried about so-called late-term abortions, only men who want “more information”. Fortunately, the majority of women MPs who have spoken out have denounced this push back to the dark ages. We need more of them to do so – and as many men as possible too. So encourage the women MPs in their battle. Let them know they have your support. You can email all women MPs from the links page of this website.