Airline ‘not an abortion referral centre’

Press, 23 May 1977, Page 6

Airline ‘not an abortion referral centre’

NZPA Sydney I' il A story in a Sydney news- 1 paper suggesting that Air 11 New Zealand is being used as ■ an abortion referral centre is: "simply not correct,” accord- 1 ing to the airline’s public re-’] lations manager (Mr D. C.l 1 Saxton). “It seems that the column- [ ist has obtained a pamphlet;' which the Family Planning, Association released about a year ago. advising its clients I ; of certain things. The onlvl' interest we have is in travel,”, he said. Mr Saxton referred to an' 1 article in the “Sydney Mom-' ing Herald” bv Peter Durisch,''

'who said that Air New Zealand was “being used as an abortion referral centre for i girls who wish to come to Australia for an abortion.” Mr Durisch said that his newspaper had obtained a : document “widely available] [from family-planning Clinics! in New Zealand." which out-; [ lined the procedures for ob-! :taining an abortion in Aust-] ralia. He said that the document.; la single sheet of yellow: [paper, suggested that inter-! ested parties telephone Air, ; New Zealand at an Auckland; 'number to arrange return! .travel to Australia. “For example, fly over; Tuesday morning, operation!

Tuesday afternoon, fly back Wednesday,” the document said, according to Mr Durisch.

He said that the document gave details of what a girl should do on arrival in Sydney — take a taxi to a clinic (in a southern Sydnev suburb) where she would stay four or five hours, then spend the night at a motel or hotel before returning to New Zealand the next day. Mr Durisch said that he ] had asked Air New Zealand’s [spokesman in Sydney about ithe matter. The spokesman ; said that Air New Zealand .had no knowledge of it, and 'would make investigations.