Miss Waring Issues Challenge To Police On Abortion... (Press, 30 April 1979)

On 30 April 1979, Miss Marilyn Waring, a member of Parliament for Raglan, made headlines by challenging police to arrest her after she advised women on how to perform self-induced abortions. Speaking at a women's workshop in Nelson, Waring encouraged attendees to learn menstrual extraction techniques, claiming that many women desperate for abortions faced significant barriers within the legal system. Her comments received applause from the audience of over 200 people. The Minister of Police, Mr Gill, responded to Waring's remarks by stating that he would direct police to investigate whether her advice violated any laws. Waring, however, unapologetically defended her stance, asserting that while she could not encourage women to seek abortions from others, advising women to learn self-abortion methods was not criminal. She acknowledged the potential medical dangers of self-induced abortion but believed that these risks were less severe compared to the alternatives many women were facing, which she described as dire. She cited the breakdown of abortion services as a significant reason for her controversial advice. Responses from the medical community were largely critical. Mr Keith Drayton, a senior obstetrician and gynaecologist at Christchurch Women's Hospital, accused Waring of instigating trouble to change the law and stressed that she had provided no evidence indicating that women were being denied legal abortions in large numbers. He highlighted that there were sufficient certifying consultants in Christchurch and pointed out that many women were still being advised to travel to Australia for abortions. The Abortion Law Reform Association's Christchurch branch noted that the variance in doctors' approval rates for abortions contributed to some women choosing to see particular providers for convenience and humane treatment. The group supported early abortions and described menstrual extraction as a viable option, provided it was conducted in a supportive environment. In contrast, opposition to Waring's position was evident from members of her own party. The president of a National Party branch in her electorate expressed disgust at her statements about self-induced abortion and indicated that an emergency meeting would be convened to discuss her remarks. It was reported that the local party members overwhelmingly disagreed with her views. Calls for accountability also emerged, with Professor R. A. M. Gregson from Canterbury University demanding the resignation of the chair of the Supervisory Committee, highlighting the expected trend of women seeking abortions abroad as consistent with international experiences. In summary, Miss Waring's advocacy for self-induced abortions sparked significant debate, highlighting concerns about legal and medical frameworks governing abortion services in New Zealand, and reflecting broader societal attitudes towards women's reproductive rights at the time.

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