Women want action on abortion service

Press, 4 November 1986, Page 2

Women want action on abortion service

Wellington reporter The Government is being urged to re-estab-lish an abortion service on the West Coast now that the newly elected West Coast Hospital Board has decided not to. The feminist group, Women's National Abortion Action Campaign, said the Minister of Health, Dr Bassett, was now “in the hot seat” With 10 women in its caucus and two in the Cabinet, West Coast women ought to be able to expect decisive action in their interests by the Government, said Ms Di Cleary for the campaign. The Labour Government had its muchflaunted Ministry of Women’s Affairs, statutory obligations on the Minister of Health and hospital boards to supply health

services, and its specific election promise to put abortion services on an equitable basis, she said.

Instead the Government would earn the distinction of achieving less for abortion services than had its National predecessors.

Two former National Ministers of Health, Messrs Gair and Malcolm, had difficulties in urban areas similar to those on the West Coast sorted out without too much fuss, Ms Cleary said.

Messrs Gair and Malcolm had not tried to hide behind the Contraception Sterilisation and Abortion Act the way Dr Bassett was, Ms Cleary said. They had used their office to complement the role of the Abortion Supervisory Committee, which had no power to

require hospital boards to offer or continue services, she said. “Dr Bassett’s claim that for him to use his power would be inconsistent with the committee’s role is a flight to legal fancy,” she said.

If he would not use his powers then he simply left the committee stranded without being able to fulfil its statutory obligations.

The Government should heed the message from West Coast voters who had given their hospital board a clear mandate to establish services, Ms Cleary said.

Two board members had changed their position on the service after the election, just as the Government was in the process of failing to deliver an equitable service.