SAFEGUARDS FOR ABORTION BILL
State MPs opposed to the State Government’s Abortion Reform Bill will move more than 30 amendments in Parliament tomorrow.
With cross-party support, Labor’s Christine Campbell will recommend that Parliament passes amendments that ensure women are provided with pregnancy counselling that enables them to make an informed decision.
“Should they choose abortion they need to know the nature of the procedures on both themselves and the unborn, and be offered support,” Ms Campbell said.
Ms Campbell said the abortion on demand period of up to 24 weeks should be brought back to 20 weeks and 21st century medical women-focused conditions should be required.
These include that:
- the registered medical practitioner has a diploma in obstetrics and gynaecology or an equivalent qualification;
- the woman has been referred in writing to the practitioner by an independent general medical practitioner;
- the woman has been offered counselling by an independent professionally accredited counsellor;
- the woman has given informed consent to the abortion;
- the consent has been given freely and without coercion;
- the abortion is performed at a prescribed hospital or medical facility;
- at least two registered medical practitioners, at least one of whom is an independent registered medical practitioner, honestly believe on reasonable grounds that the abortion is necessary to preserve the woman from a serious danger to her life or her physical or mental health (not being the normal dangers of pregnancy) which continuing the pregnancy would entail.
“If a decision is to be made post 20 weeks on a termination it should only be done with the authorisation of a specialist review panel.”
Ms Campbell said the Bill should also require the doctor performing an abortion to take foetal tissue samples where he or she believes that the woman's pregnancy was the result of a rape – or in the case of a child – of rape, incest or sexual abuse.
She said under the amended conscientious objection proposal, no person should be compelled to be involved in any way to perform, assist in or witness the performance of an abortion, or to perform or assist in performing work involving foetal material from an abortion or to dispose of or assist in the disposal of an aborted foetus.
“If the amendments are passed it would mean a registered health practitioner is also not under a duty to refer a woman to any person for an abortion.
“It also means that no person must subject another person to any detriment or discrimination in employment, promotion, or academic assessment because they declined to be involved in an abortion.”
Ms Campbell said an amendment would ensure that a foetus that is born alive has all the rights of a child regardless of whether the foetus was born as the result of a normal birth or a failed abortion.
She said it was essential that a review is carried out in four years on the effect of the Bill.