News - August and September 2008

Archive of news items originally posted under 'Latest News'.

September 2008

The Abortion Bill will be debated in the Legislative Council next week - 7-9 October.
* Please PRAY it is defeated.
* A prayer gathering will be held on the steps of the Victorian parliament on Sunday 5 October from 1.45 pm to 2.45 pm. Please come with your family, friends and church!
There is still TIME to contact your FIVE Legislative Council Members and ask them to vote AGAINST the Bill.
Click here for our campaign page and MP details.

12 September 2008 -Prayer for missing children
An international group has been set up to pray for missing and exploited children. The Madeleine Prayer group was sparked by concern for the welfare of Madeleine McCann, the 5 year-old UK girl who went missing in Portugal in May 2007.

The group invites people to pray for her return, and the return of other missing children. The second prayer day is on 19 September 2008 – from 1.00 - 2.00 pm and 10.30- 11.30pm.
Click here for a story on Assist News.

12 September 2008 - Abortion Bill -UPDATE
The Abortion Law Reform Bill passed the Second Reading in the Legislative Assembly on Tuesday 9 September by 47 votes to 35.

Numerous amendments were proposed following that vote - reduce to 20 weeks, counselling, partial birth abortions, parental permission for under-17s, etc.
ALL of them were defeated.

The debate continued on Wednesday and Thursday, until early in the morning.

Third reading vote: 49 to 32 (total – 81 votes of 88 Members - President doesn't vote, 6 Members had no vote recorded)

The Bill now goes to Legislative Council for debate and vote in early October.
PLEASE contact your FIVE MLCs - click here for our campaign page.

MP speaks of loss of 22-1/2-week baby
The Age, September 12, 2008.

Crunch time in abortion vote in Victorian Parliament
Herald Sun, September 12, 2008.
Bill passes Legislative Assembly with NO amendments - now goes to Legislative Council for debate and vote in early October.

11 September - GOOD NEWS
Euthanasia voted DOWN in the Victorian Parliament!
The Medical Treatment (Physician Assisted Dying) Bill 2008 was defeated 25 votes to 13 in the Legislative Council on Wednesday 10 September..
This is a resounding defeat and should mean that the issue of euthanasia is now dead!

Thank You to all those who contacted their MPs.
PRAISE GOD FOR THIS VICTORY!

6 September 2008 - Freedom to be born march
About 2,000 people marched in Melbourne today to oppose the Bill to decriminalise abortion. The rally ended up on the steps of Parliament House and the top end of Spring Street.
Meanwhile, some 'pro-abortion' protesters (maybe 100) held a counter protest across the street and then moved to the steps after the first rally disbanded.Media reports of the March:
Abortion debate heats up at parliament
The Age, 6/9/2008
'Abortion on demand' protesters rally in Melbourne
ABC Online, 6/6/2008
Demos as Victoria considers making abortion no crime
AAP, News - 6/6/2008

Interesting article featuring Peter Costello's opposition to the Victorian Bill and mentioning Gianna Jessen's visit to Australia. . .
Abortion has a new adversary in Costello
The Australian, Angela Shanahan, 6/9/2008

The debate on the Abortion Law Reform Bill starts in the Legislative Assembly next Tuesday, 9 September.

PLEASE contact your MP in the Legislative Assembly NOW if you haven't done so... click here for MP details. [Then contact your 5 Legislative Council MPs.]

2 September 2008 - Victoria - Abortion
Visit our Campaign Page to see all the relevant information on the proposed Abortion Law Reform Bill.

It contains links to the Bill, media articles and details of MPs you you can CONTACT them!

August 2008

19 August 2008 - Decriminalisation of abortion - Victoria
The Victorian government has introduced the Abortion Law Reform Bill 2008 into the Victorian Parliament - debate is expected to begin in early September.

The Bill proposes abortion for any reason up to 24 weeks of pregnancy. After that time it will subject to medical opinion by two doctors - but 'social' reasons would be considered along with life and health reasons.

Links to the Bill, an analysis of the situation, action points and media articles are all posted on our NEW Campaign Page .

18 August 2008 - Decriminalisation of abortion - Victoria
The Victorian government is expected to introduce its proposed Bill to decriminalise abortion THIS WEEK. Although full details are not known, The Age reports that it is expected that the government will basically opt for Model B as proposed by the Victorian Law reform Commission. This would allow a woman to choose if she wants an abortion up to 24 weeks - after that time a doctor would need to assess that it was necessary for life or health reasons.
Some groups are lobbying for Model C - which allows abortion for any reason at any time of the pregnancy if a woman requests it. The three doctors writing the 'Give Women Total Control' article below want Model C.
Lachlan De Crespigny is the doctor who did the abortion on the 32 week old pre-born baby at the Royal Women's Hospital because it had 'suspected dwarfism'!

Some Christian groups seem to assume that abortion will be decriminalised and are trying to suggest 'amendments' to the government to make the bill a bit less offensive. The article below by Nicholas Tonti-Filippini (a Catholic) takes this line. It states that "decriminalisation has Opposition support". HOWEVER, the Opposition has not adopted a position. The decriminalisation of abortion will be a conscience vote and we know MPs on both sides who oppose decriminalisation.

WE oppose any decriminalisation of abortion, as the law is a guide to the society as to what is right and wrong. Any legalisation of abortion would send the wrong message. Implementing informed consent etc, needs to be done separately to opposing abortion itself.

Recent media articles:
New law to give abortion right
The Age, Paul Austin, August 16, 2008
"WOMEN inVictoria would have the legal right to choose an abortion under historic legislation expected to be introduced to State Parliament next week. The Age believes the bill, which will prompt long and emotional debate, would decriminalise abortion during the first 24 weeks of pregnancy, providing the woman gives consent...."

Giving women total control
Roger Short, Lachlan De Crespigny and Julian Savulescu
The Age, August 15, 2008
"Every birth should be a wanted birth. That must be the aim in Victoria...."

Support when it really counts
Nicholas Tonti-Filippini, The Age, August 15, 2008.
"Abortion is not a routine medical procedure: it must be regulated.
THE Victorian Government is soon to introduce abortion legislation. Given that decriminalisation has Opposition support, the current de facto availability of abortion may well become statute law.
A major effect of decriminalisation will be to bring abortion out of the shadows. That raises many other policy questions that have not been dealt with in the options proposed by the Victorian Law Reform Commission...."

15 August 2008 - Dying Bill
The Physician Assisted Dying Bill is due to be voted on in the Victorian Legislative Council this week. The word is that many MPs are realising the problems inherent in such legislation and the pressure it places on vulnerable people.

If you live in Victoria, PLEASE contact your FIVE Legislative Council Members ASAP - the vote (and the rest of the debate) is expected to be held on Wednesday 20 August 2008.
Click here for MP contact details.
Click here for our Campaign page (details of Bill, etc).

12 August 2008 - Victoria - 'dying' bill
The 080808 Your Kingdom Come meeting and seminar has concluded in Canberra. It brought together a wide range of Christians focused on the Lordship of Jesus Christ.

Any move for 'unity' must be based on Jesus Christ and the Bible, not on a fuzzy feeling that we should be 'united' for unity's sake!

Click here for the 080808 Your Kingdom Come website.

4 August 2008 - Victoria - 'dying' bill
The Victorian Legislative Council debated the Bill last Wednesday.
Click here to read the Hansard speeches - at Page 47 and again at P 83.
So far 11 MPs have spoken. Six have opposed the Bill (Kavanagh, Rich-Phillips, Thornley, Vogels, Pakula, Pulford). Four have said they support the Bill (Broad, Scheffer, Coote, Leane). One MP (Peter Hall) said he is undecided at present.

The Bill was not debated on Thursday. The Parliament next meets on 19 August 2008.
We are advised by MPs that the Bill is likely to be put to a vote on 20 August.
PLEASE:
1. Contact your MPs - especially your FIVE Members in the Legislative Council. Ask them to vote against the Medical Treatment (Physician Assisted Dying) Bill.

2. Pray that MPs will vote against the Bill .

3. Contact your ONE Member in the Legislative Assembly .

Click here for MP contact details .

Click here for our Campaign page (details of Bill, etc).

1 August 2008 - Global warming and carbon trading
The Rudd government has released its Green Paper on carbon trading:
See links on our webpage - Click here.
It recommends the establishment of the 'Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme' by 2010.

Penny Wong i s actively promoting the scheme and the Opposition is divided over the matter - some wanting to wait until big emitters like China, India and the USA commit to similar schemes and others wanting to implement a trading scheme.
A position seems to have been reached. However Malcolm Turnbull on Q and A noted it might change!
On Q and A (ABC) last night, Penny Wong spoke of the scientific consensus behind global warming. BUT is there?

Christopher Monckton (International Climate Science Coalition) has analysed the 2,500 scientists said to support the global warming scenario by the IPCC... After removing reviewers who looked at other parts of the report, neutral papers etc, he shows that only FOUR Papers actually support the notion of human-caused global warming.
Click here for his Research paper, published in the Newsletter of the American Physical Society.
He has now written to Penny Wong, telling her the truth and asking the Rudd government NOT to proceed with a carbon trading scheme. Click here for his letter.
Click here for the letter, posted on Andrew Bolt's blog!