Abortion: 'As early as possible, as late as necessary'

Nicole Hilder, Melbourne

On April 20, the same day that the media reported Coalition Senator Ron Boswell's intention to introduce a private member's bill into parliament restricting women's access to abortion, the Socialist Alliance held a pro-choice public meeting entitled "As early as possible, as late as necessary".

The meeting set out a strategy to respond to the increasing climate of fear and moral pressure surrounding abortion.

Anne O'Rourke from the Greens highlighted the importance of language and argued that pro-choice supporters should not take their point of reference from conservatives. O'Rourke said the debate around so-called late-term abortions was "wedge politics", as polls show that the public is "queasy" about post-12-week terminations. She said the pro-choice campaign should "stick to the facts, which are that most abortions take place pre-12 weeks into the pregnancy". The Greens have called for legislation to restrict anti-choice forces that intimidate women outside clinics.

Marg Kirkby, an abortion counsellor with the Bessie Smyth Foundation in Sydney, said that it will be low-income and disadvantaged women who will pay the biggest price if Medicare funding for abortion services is restricted. She referred to an April 17 60 Minutes interview with Coalition Senator Julian McGauran to highlight how those seeking to limit women's access to abortion "have no regard for how women feel and use their power to manipulate and exploit and just lie".

Kirkby emphasised that "late-term" is not medical terminology. She also discussed the increasingly difficult working conditions for abortion providers.

Pat Brewer from the Socialist Alliance outlined the history of the religious right's mobilisation in the US. She argued that all tactics, including lobbying and advertising, were necessary to build a movement to respond to the ideological campaign by anti-choice forces. Brewer called for a national day of action, stating that a public campaign was needed in order to involve more people.

From Green Left Weekly, April 27, 2005.

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From GLW issue 624