Craig Young, ALRANZ Research Officer, expressed thanks for Libertarianz's support over women's access to RU486 and other possible forms of medical abortion within New Zealand.

"ALRANZ is a nonpartisan organisation. As its Research Officer, I welcome support from any position on the political spectrum. I hope that Libertarianz will also support ALRANZ in its other objectives.

“These include ultimate complete decriminalisation of abortion access, and its availability on request, as well as shared opposition to incrementalist anti-abortion strategies similar to ones used within the United States."

"Perhaps predictably, we part company over the issue of taxpayer funding for abortions. Firstly, even the anti-abortion lobby acknowledges that there is majority support for a woman's right to choose these days. Secondly, some of our centre-right members use a cost/ benefit analysis approach that compares incremental costs from contraception and abortion to foregone costs and individual benefits from foregone welfare spending, public health expenditure and child welfare costs.

“Moreover, I would recommend that Libertarianz look at the Donahue-Leavitt economist report on the relationship between liberal abortion laws and reduced criminal offender cohorts that fuel reduced levels of crime. That would square well with the libertarian philosophy of non-aggression, would it not?"

"If abortion were subjected to economic restrictions, this might be offset through proliferation of private sector abortion providers and increased competition within this market, which would reduce costs for women. We encourage Libertarianz to research this issue, and adopt it as policy."

"ALRANZ adopts the perspective of the International Planned Parenthood Federation on this issue, though. Rationed or prohibited access to abortion and/or contraception results in increased private or public healthcare costs from staff payment, equipment use, operating theatre use, bed occupancy, blood supply consumption and replacement costs, and other results of increased backstreet abortions.

“For private health providers, that might drive up premiums and deter uptake of private health insurance, and I suspect Libertarianz would have problems with that position as a free enterprise party. Rather than save costs, the abandonment of taxpayer subsidies for abortion would increase healthcare expenditure and costs. One need only look at the consequences of this policy within South Africa."

"ALRANZ welcomes support from any pro-choicers. However, we are a nonpartisan organisation. Again, we thank Libertarianz for its conditional support for RU486 access, and hope that it develops a stronger policy position on women's right to choose."

Craig Young Research Officer ALRANZ email: lavendarmenace@yahoo.com ph wk 06 3569099 ext 7750

Dr Margaret Sparrow President ALRANZ ph 04 4759886

===== Craig Young (noun): Doctoral candidate, Massey University School of Sociology and Women's Studies.

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