Gordon Copeland Press Release
EMBARGOED UNTIL SPEECH DELIVERED
Thursday, 14th June 2007

Gordon Copeland Speech: Abortion Supervisory Committee Debate

14 JUNE 2007

Gordon Copeland Re: Abortion Supervisory Committee

I move that the motion be amended by omitting “Dr Rosemary Jane Fenwicke of Wellington” and substituting “Dr Ate Moala of Wellington”.

Mr Speaker, I regard the Abortion Supervisory Committee as the single most important supervisory body in New Zealand. I say that because abortion ends somewhere between 17 and 18 thousand human lives in New Zealand each year. That is the magnitude of the task which the three people appointed to the Supervisory Committee are undertaking. Thousands of human lives are directly affected. It is with that in mind that I, without hesitation, recommend the appointment of Dr Ate Moala to the ASC. Dr. Moala has an impressive curriculum vitae. She is an outstanding doctor and an outstanding clinician. She is Tongan. She is a mother. I have circulated information about her to every MP. I only wish that every member of this House had the opportunity to meet Dr Ate Moala in person because, if that were possible, I have no doubt at all that you would quickly conclude that she has a great deal to offer our nation as a member of the Abortion Supervisory Committee.

Mr Speaker, as I mentioned earlier, when I contemplate the reality of abortion, I cannot comprehend that there are some 18,000 abortions each and every year in New Zealand. I visualise those lost lives as children and I have no doubt that they would be great Kiwi kids. Our society suffers great loss through their absence.

I cannot think of abortion, however, without also thinking of the women with child who are faced with the agonising choice of whether or not to terminate. All of us know that both a male and a female are involved in the creation of a new human life. Many times, however, the weight of the decision concerning abortion is made by the woman and by her alone. The “other”, the father of the child, not infrequently doesn’t want to know and indeed sometimes joins the crowd of accusers who point the finger at the woman as “having got herself pregnant” and demanding that she now “get rid of it”.

I greatly admire the many tremendous New Zealanders who selflessly offer support, emotionally and practically, to women in that situation. Those women need to be right at the very centre of the abortion process and treated with the greatest tenderness and compassion.

I also admire those churches that have programmes, for example both the Catholic and Elim churches in Wellington, to reach out and minister to women following an abortion.

I am of course a man so I cannot completely put myself, as it were, in the shoes of a woman who is faced with this serious and painful decision. However I have a wife and have accompanied her through 5 pregnancies so at least, in that second hand sense, I can fully appreciate that an unexpected and unplanned pregnancy, particularly for an unmarried woman, must bring with it a lot of new and deeply disturbing questions. Why me? Why now? Where will I live? How will I complete my examinations? Who will support me? How will the father of the child and my mum and dad react to the news of my pregnancy?

I also, however, should acknowledge here the good men who, finding their partner pregnant, immediately pledge their whole-hearted commitment and support to her welfare and the welfare of the child. It is the responsible, manly thing to do and that probably needs to be more explicitly taught to all young New Zealand men if we are to see an improvement in our abortion statistics.

Many people are amazed when I tell them that under the present law it is not mandatory for certifying consultants even to meet the woman who has requested an abortion. Likewise there is no legal requirement for the woman to be fully informed of her options, both in terms of continuing with the pregnancy or moving to abortion. That seems amazing given that for many years now in New Zealand we have had a commitment to informed consent. Even those who describe themselves as “pro-choice” would surely agree that informed choice is always better that uninformed choice. I think all of us could also agree that a so-called ‘choice’ made by a frightened and insecure mother-to-be in favour of abortion because of demands from the father’s baby, friends, or other family members, is in truth no choice at all.

I have long since reached the view that, although I would like to see some much needed changes to the present Contraception, Sterilisation and Abortion Act, abortion will continue in New Zealand until each and every woman with child is loved, and every child is wanted and welcomed. That should be our goal. It will take effort and education to effect that change. That is why it is so important that we have the right people on the Abortion Supervisory Committee.

As far as I can tell, New Zealand’s abortion rate is now the highest in the western world. We have over 300 abortions for every 1000 live births compared, for example, to the USA where the latest figure I have is 240 abortions per each 1000 live births. Surely on that statistic alone, all of us could conclude with the simple proposition, that the abortion rate in New Zealand is now too high.

I know that Dr Ate Moala will bring an experienced and compassionate view to the ASC. The welfare of the women with child will be at the centre of her concern. I ask every member, therefore, to support her nomination to the ASC as a replacement for Dr Rosemary Jane Fenwicke.

ENDS

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