Women want say on abortion

Press, Issue 33844, 16 May 1975, Page 1

Women want say on abortion

(New Zealand Press Association)

WELLINGTON, May 15.

The Government’s decision to set up a Royal Commission on abortion, sterilisation and contraception should be commended and the commission should consist of a majority of women, the Labour Party conference decided today.

Divisions on the conference were threatening until the motion that the commission have a majority of women was put by the chairman (Mr J. G. O’Brien).

He ruled that if that amendment was passed, it would replace completely other sub-remits on abortion and so forestall continuing debate. Other remits called for the Government to uphold the present laws on abortion, to hold a national referendum of women on abortion law changes, and urged that all abortion laws should be repealed.

The acceptance; of the amendment considerable' defused the atmosphere in the Town Hall. The expected long card-votes and points

of order as the issue was put to the vote, which occurred on Tuesday night, did not eventuate today.

The conference’s recommendation to the Government was: “That the conference commend the Government on the setting up of the Royal Commission oh Abortion, Sterilisation and Contraception and recommend that the commission receive evidence from the community as a whole, and further, that the majority on the commission be women.” Introducing the justice committee’s recommenda-, tions, the committee chairman, Mr T. J. Young (M.P. for Hutt) said the committee had been “severely divided” when considering the remits. Almost immediately, he was subjected to a point of order stating that he should merely put the question and

save his comments for replying, as the conference had earlier ruled. During the debate, other attempts were also made to rule speakers and amendments out of order, and at one stage a ruling was asked on whether the whole matter was out of order because it had been discussed by the conference last year. Mr E. A. Barry (EpuniWaihete) said the issue had been “thrashed again and again” and the public was now sick and tired of it.

‘Free abortion* The committee’s recom- i mendation that abortion be; made more freely available• as a back-up to contraception and family-planning ser-i vices was merely a back-door; way of getting free abortion,! he said. Other speakers said the! conference was unnecessarily, dividing itself over the issues.■ Mr B. Smith (Valley Road)j said the effect of Dr G. A. I • Wall’s Hospitals Amendment; Bill was to defuse the Gcv-! ernment’s proposed Royal Commission. Mr Smith said he was sorry people were divided on the [ issue. “By 7 God I want the Labour, Party to win this election, by i God I don’t want the party j divided, but by God we did! not bring this bill into Parliament,” he said. ‘Little point* Mr D. A. Shand (Welling-1 ton) said he could see little point in having the commission if the issue was to be prejudged by Dr Wall’s bill. Mr G. Blaybrooke (Manu- 1 rewa) said he was “sick and tired of men deciding what women do with their bodies.” A national referendum for women only should he held: on the issue, he said. Other sneakers called abortion an “offence against God ! and nature” and said thousands of babies were being destroyed every day. |