Abortion bill delayed till next rear

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33671, 22 October 1974, Page 1

Abortion bill delayed till next rear

(New Zealand Press Awociatiowl WELLINGTON. October 21. The I lospitals Amendment Bill, which would restrict abortions to public hospitals, will probably be held over until next year.

The Acting Prime Minister (Mr Tizard) said at a press conference tonight that the bill could not go ahead while court cases were being heard, and that he thought it would not be dealt with in the House this year. An appeal against the taking of records from the Auckland Medical Aid Centre is being heard in the Auckland Supreme Court and Mr

* Tizard said that the Govern I ment also had to consider the possibility of prose- ' I cutions arising from the ■ j police raid on the clinic. II “We want a major discus- , on the bill in the House.” Mr Tizard said, “but '! we can’t while it’s sub ! | judice." 1 The bill was introduced in Parliament bv Dr G. A. Wall. Mr Tizard also said that .ithe Prime Minister (Mr e Rowling) should know by • {next Monday when this year’s 1- Parliamentary session is r l likely to end. . “It’s obvious we'll go past | the end of October." Mr ■Tizard said. He said that supplementary I estimates — "unfortunately fairly substantial” — would | be introduced the week after Labour Week-end and there was still some legislation, some of it contentious, to go through. This included the huge Commerce Bill, and the Land and Income Tax Bill.