No Compromise on Abortion Funding - CHNZ

Christian Heritage NZ has made it clear that it will not vote for any budget that includes funding for abortions. Speaking on Taranaki TV, CHNZ leader Ewen McQueen said the party would not enter any coalition or supply and confidence agreement with another party, unless they agreed to ring-fence abortion funding and have it voted on separately from the rest of the budget. He said

“Christian Heritage NZ affirms the sanctity of human life, and because of that our conscience won’t allow us to vote for any budget that includes funding to take the lives of unborn children. If a coalition partner wants to fund abortions that’s their choice – but we don’t see why we should be forced to participate in that by voting for their health budget. We want abortion funding ring-fenced and voted on separately. That way all MPs in Parliament can have the freedom each year to express their conscience on the issue.”

The CHNZ leader’s comments came in response to a question on whether there was any single policy that his party would not be willing to compromise to achieve power with another party. McQueen noted that if a potential coalition or supply and confidence partner did not accept ring-fencing of abortion funding then Christian Heritage NZ would be unable to work with them. He later commented,

“This is not about forcing our principles on other parties, it is about not having their choices forced on us. If New Zealand is going to see respect for the sanctity of human life re-established then we must have leadership who will act with integrity on this issue. And besides - we want to be able to sleep at nights.”

ENDS

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