Pro-life groups have expressed disappointment at the passage through Parliament of a law enabling the creation of “safe areas” banning protest near abortion facilities.
On March 16, the Contraception, Sterilisation and Abortion (Safe Areas) Amendment Bill, sponsored by Louisa Wall, passed its third reading in Parliament in a 108-12 conscience vote.
The Minister of Health, in consultation with the Minister of Justice, can now recommend to the Governor-General that “safe areas” be created within 150 metres of specified abortion premises. A person convicted under the new law would be liable for a fine of up to $1000.
Certain actions, including engaging in protest about abortion, are prohibited behaviour in a safe area when they can be easily seen or heard by a person “accessing, providing, or assisting with providing, abortion services”. Also prohibited in most circumstances is someone advising or persuading such persons to stop accessing or providing abortion services, or giving out information about abortion to that person.
According to the Attorney General, an individual engaging in silent prayer will not risk being criminalised.
In a post on their website, Right to Life stated that the new legislation “violates our human rights of free speech, assembly, communication and freedom of religion”.
Among the facts that Parliament ignored when passing the law, Right to Life stated, was that an Official Information Act request revealed that New Zealand’s 20 DHBs had received no complaints of intimidation or harassment in the last two years.
Written submissions on the bill opposed it by a large majority, with 70 per cent opposed and only 19 per cent in favour. The Law Commission did not consider safe areas necessary. Other laws were held to be sufficient.
What the new act does do, Right to Life stated, is “distract attention away from the real intimidation and violence that is inflicted on women and their unborn [children] in the abortion facility”, and prevents the presence of persons within a safe area offering help to a woman to choose life for her child.
Voice for Life said that the it “intended to silence the charitable voices of pro-life dissent” outside abortion facilities.
The passing of the legislation “was about state overreach and might-makes-right ideological domination . . . ”.
“It also speaks to a growing twilight of authoritarianism which has begun to cast its long shadow over the people of Aotearoa New Zealand.”
“We will continue to speak for those who cannot speak for themselves,” Voice for Life stated.
After the law came into force, Family Life International said that its “small team is working hard to ensure that our 40 Days for Life prayer vigil outside of AMAC remains peaceful and within the law”.
The point that needs to be made to “church”
is the true nature of Secular Humanism and
the anti-thesis.
Unfortunately the clergy are not supportive
and do not offer any sign of encouragement.
S.H. is a curse not a blessing.
It is the fundamental reason why abortion
is so high today-
the “plague of death”.
WHEN, not not if, church makes the effort
to enter the spiritual battle that Medjugorje
pilgrims (over 40 million) all know about
then things will change.
Until then people will have to accept the
trends, the gaps in congregations and loss
of seminarians.
TWO fundamentals.
1. Asceticism
2. Mysticism