Pro-life groups in New Zealand [1] have made submissions to a parliamentary committee tasked with reviewing a radical abortion bill [2] which has passed the early stages of the legislative process.
Voice for Life [3] said the Bill would enable women to have abortions on demand, with no restriction up to 20 weeks, and from then until birth if a Health Practitioner “reasonably believes the abortion is appropriate in the circumstances, having regard to the woman’s physical health, mental health and well-being”.
Criticising the proposals, the group said the Bill makes abortions only about a mother’s health and “does away with any recognition of the value of the unborn child”. They recommend rejecting the bill entirely, or at least moderating its most egregious elements.
Another pro-life group, Family First, [4] said that abortion is both a health issue and a legal issue involving both mother and unborn child. They added that “New Zealanders don’t want an extreme abortion law – they want a law that works best for women’s health and well-being, and which considers all human beings involved in a pregnancy.”