Great bill, says S.P.U.C. head

Press, 24 August 1976, Page 6

Great bill, says S.P.U.C. head

PA Wellington The Auckland abortion clinic is now doing about 5000 abortions a year, for which is charges between $BO and $lOO each and gets a State subsidy, according to the president of the Society for the Protection of the Unborn Child. In the two years to April last the clinic received $419,860 in abortion fees and $59,995 in subsidies Starting with a capital of $403 its assets now totalled $148,000 "To date this lucrative operation has cost us the lives of 5500 future citizens,” said Mr Dalgety. He said that in 1974 and 1975 New Zealand births fell below 60.000 for the first tune in 16 years. For 1974 they were 59.336 and for 1975 thev were 56,638. "These brief, chilling statistics give me grave cause for concern. "They are known to our

iimembers’ of Parliament. I know most of them are api palled at how quickly the t situation got out of hand.” r| A “caring society" did not )j solve social and economic i(problems in pregnancies bv > (killing unborn babies. It solved the problems for the ■ mother and saved the baby, lhe said. 1j That was whv on all 11 counts the Health Amend;ment Bill introduced b v Mr ( Gill would be seen in future " years as a truly great piece I of social lesislation. I Mr Dalgetv denied that the’ bill pre-empted the report of; the Royal Commission on ab-l I ortion, sterilisation and contraception. I j From the time of the commission’s report, at best it ■would take probably 18 months for legislation to be • ; passed — and that meant the second half of 1978. He questioned whether the ■situation could be reversed’ ’after “a further two years| • of the present excesses.”