S.P.U.C. attacks N.C.W. paper

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33934, 29 August 1975, Page 5

S.P.U.C. attacks N.C.W. paper

(N.Z. Press Association) WELLINGTON. ! The National Council of Women was circulating a questionnaire on ; abortion which was both I biased and misleading, I said the Society for the i Protection of the Unborn Child.

The purpose of the questionaire is to provide material for the N.C.W.’s submissions to the Royal Commission on Contraception, Sterilisation and Abortion.

i “Bias is evident right at the beginning of the questionnaire, where it misquotes both the commission’s terms of reference and the Crimes ■Act provisions on abortion,” | said the president of S.P.U.C. ■(Dr Diana Mason). “In quoting terms of reference, the questionnaire omits the section which says the .commission is required to; [Consider the ‘social and) i moral issues’ relating to; abortion, including ‘the rights; of the pregnant woman and the status of the unborn child.’ “Throughout the questionnaire, the only reference to the child—one of the essential partners in any pregnancy—occurs in a question) ■ referring to abortion being ) permitted ‘if there is a ■serious threat to the health) |of the foetus.’ ) “The whole thrust of the; ) questionnaire appears aimed, iat giving the impression that; |New Zealand women favour) )a widening of the present) ; legal grounds for abortion,) or even abortion on demand," Dr Mason said. ■ “Fourteen situations, 12 ofwhich are outside the scope’ of the present law, are put) forward to be conveniently; ticked off as possible grounds for legal abortion. Yet only I lone question is concerned with counselling and only six ' spaces are provided for views lon positive help for the! ’mother and her child. I Dr Mason said the questions which referred to ‘serious threats’ to the health of the mother or child were inadequate, and two other important areas had been overlooked.

“These are whether a woman considering abortion should be informed of the possible threats of abortion to her life or health, and to the health of any subsequent children she might have, and whether the mother should be informed about the stage of development of her unborn child. “Finally,” said Dr Mason, “the slanted nature of the questionnaire becomes evi- ! dent in the first general question at the end. Only those who have supported change are to be permitted to comment on the social implications thereof. So. it appears that all of the comments that will be quoted will support freer abortion.”