P.M. not in House for crucial votes on abortion

Press, 21 December 1977, Page 1

P.M. not in House for crucial votes on abortion

NZPA political correspondent The Prime Minister (Mr Muldoon) did not vote in Parliament over a period of about eight hours during the committee-stage debate on the Contraception, Sterilisation, and Abortion Bill, a Government backbencher, Miss Marilyn Waring, said yesterday. Miss Waring, the outspoken member for Raglan and one of the most active “liberai” members on the abortion issue, said in a statement that Mr Muldoon’s . last recorded vote in a division was shortly before 2 a.m. last Wednesday. His first recorded vote later that morning was at 10.31, she said. Miss Waring attached division lists showing how members had voted to her statement, which political observers see as certain to add fuel to the fire of the abortion row. Her statement said that Mr Muldoon had been absent during the vote on an amendment by Sir Basil Arthur (Lab., Timaru), ruling out foetal abnormality as a ground for abortion.

Mr Muldoon told a news conference on Monday that he was not happy about this amendment. He said he had “no recollection” of voting on the amendment and did not believe he had done so.

“I certainly did not hear the debate (on Sir Basil’s amendment),” he said.

Miss Waring said that she was becoming increasingly disturbed that reaction to the Contraception, Sterilisation, and Abortion Act emphasised the foetal abnormality clause “at the expense of the total unacceptability of the new situation.” “Admittedly, this amendment. moved by Sir Basil Arthur, is one of the worst aspects of the bill,” she said. ■ “The division on this amendment was taken at 6.05 a.m., was supported by 34 members, and opposed by 26. “In addition to those 13 members who were ill or overseas, 14 members of Parliament who had been present in the House at the

beginning of the debate did not record votes and had apparently gone home. “Among those was the Prime Minister.”

Miss Waring said a similar number of members were absent for the division on the Wall amendment (moved by Dr G. A. Wall, Lab., Porirqa) at 5.58 a.m.

This amendment prohibits abortion when serious danger to the mental or physical health of the woman can be averted by any other means. “Its practical effect is totally to outlaw abortions,” Miss Waring said. Expressing what she described as surprise and concern about the “limited public reaction” to the definitions of abortion and miscarriage in the Crimes Act, Miss Waring said these effectively prohibited the use of prostoglandin and menstrual extraction and left the intra-uterine device (1.U.D.) in a “grey area.”

“One further recalls that a major public outcry when the Royal Commission report was released was about the omission of rape as an automatic ground for abortion,” Miss Waring said.

“Despite concern expressed by members of Parliament at the time, this amendment was not carried, being debated and voted on at 7 a.m. on Wednesday. “All of this is to forget the overwhelming public and professional opposition to the Birch amendment. It must be remembered that opposition to the new legislation must be in total rather than in part. “Many of my colleagues will find it possible to assuage their conscience simply by repealing the obnoxious provisions of the Crimes Act. “This week was a triumph for those who knew that Parliament could be completely stupid and a loss for those who apathetically believed it could never happen.” Miss Waring said. A report from Auckland says that Miss Waring faces opposition from at least one other candidate in her bid for selection for the new safe Waipa seat.

A Cambridge car dealer, Mr J. Wild, who is expected to announce his candidacy later this week, has been approached bv a deputation from supporters. A farmer at Te Aroha. Mr Dryden Spring, has been asked to stand and has said: “I am certainly considering the approaches.” Miss Waring, aged 24, has lost her safe Raglan seat in the latest boundary changes and in September announced that she would contest Waipa. The new electorate includes a nart of her old seat.

Mr Spring, who is 38, would be a formidable rival if he decided to stand. A Dominion councillor of Federated Farmers, he is a director of the Farmers’ Fertiliser Company, Auckland Farmers’ Freezing Cooperative, the New Zealand Co-operative Dairy Company, and the Rural Bank. Voting details, Page 6