Queensland government and abortion

With the Queensland government announcing that they will alter the law so that doctors who do medical abortions using RU 486 will be (partly) protected from liability, Teresa Martin, the President of Cherish Life in Queensland has written an excellent article in the Courier Mail explaining the consequences of the legislation.

The article also notes that it is highly unlikely that this legislation will appease the pro-abortion advocates - they will undoubtedly continue to campaign for the full decriminalisation of abortion - up to birth - in Queensland.

The advocates of abortion - such as the new lobby group Pro-Choice Queensland - want similar legislation to that enacted in Victoria. In Victoria, abortions can now be obtained up to birth and doctors are required to act against their conscience and refer a woman to an abortionist if they disagree with abortion themselves!

If you live in Queensland, please contact your MP and ask them to oppose the decriminalisation of abortion in Queensland.

Visit our Campaign Page for information and contact details for your MP/Party leaders.

Queensland abortion debate's real losers are women
Teresa Martin, Courier Mail, September 03, 2009.
"WE are on the threshold of change in Queensland with the Queensland Government's decision to amend Section 282 of the Criminal Code to cover "medical treatment".
The Government is proposing to change existing legislation, for better or for worse, to give protection to doctors prescribing a range of drugs, including abortion-inducing drugs such as RU486.
But with this legislation passed, what will be the consequences? How will it play out in hospitals and surgeries across the state?
The Therapeutic Goods Administration already has watered down controls on RU486, effectively banned in Australia until three years ago.
So what is to stop the TGA now taking this one step further and granting permission to all GPs to prescribe these drugs?
The ramifications could be as follows:

• Doctors who oppose surgical abortion run the risk of being pressured to become involved in these so-called medical abortions.
• Due purely to accessibility, more women may avail themselves of these drugs which would mean they would abort their baby at home.

And there are very real concerns that, despite this amendment being passed by parliament, the pro-abortion lobby will up the ante and continue to try to pressure Premier Anna Bligh into allowing abortion up to birth, as is currently the case in Victoria...."
Click here to read the full article.