Differing Views Expressed On Abortion Law Reform (Press, 13 May 1974)

On 12 May 1974, the Abortion Law Reform Association in New Zealand was tasked with preparing draft legislation on abortion for review by the Parliamentary Select Committee on Women’s Rights. During hearings in Auckland, Mr David Thomson expressed the need for the association to make specific recommendations regarding changes to the existing abortion laws. He noted that with the legal and medical expertise of the association, it was well-positioned to draft a new law that would allow the committee to compare the current legislation with the proposed framework. The association agreed to create a draft law which stipulated that women could terminate pregnancies within the first three months based on the decision of the woman and her doctor. For the following three months, the association proposed that abortion should be regulated to protect the woman's health, and it advocated that abortion should not occur after six months of pregnancy. Furthermore, the association called for public hospitals to end the practice of forming abortion committees and suggested that contraceptives be included on the Social Security medical list. In response, the Society for the Protection of the Unborn Child voiced concerns that any move to repeal current abortion laws would take away legal protections for unborn children. They sought an educational campaign about the risks associated with abortion and called for increased support for mothers and pregnant women through measures such as maternity care, social security benefits, tax concessions, childcare, housing assistance, and educational help for unmarried mothers. Dr H. P. Dunn, representing the Family Rights Association, argued that childbearing was fundamental to marriage and suggested that couples, unless facing serious medical, genetic, financial, or social issues, should not opt out of having children. The association called for greater financial recognition of women's roles as wives and mothers and proposed measures including increased family benefits, restoration of tax deductions for dependent children, and the deductibility of health and educational expenses. Additionally, the association opposed compulsory sex education in New Zealand and advocated for stringent enforcement of laws that restrict contraceptive advice to those under 16 years old. Dr Dunn strongly asserted that abortion should ideally never be performed and denied the notion that it constitutes a woman’s right. The submissions also included a demand for a pledge preventing the teaching of homosexual activities in schools.

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