Greens: no 'conscience' vote in NSW

Wednesday, February 1, 1995 - 11:00

Greens: no 'conscience' vote in NSW

The Greens NSW support repeal of all abortion laws in the state and do not allow a "conscience" vote on the question, says Leeza Dobbie, a member of the Greens' ticket for the Legislative Council.

An article in last week's Green Left Weekly quoted Kamala Emanuel, the Democratic Socialist candidate for Newcastle, as saying that the Greens allowed a "conscience" vote on the question.

Contacted this week, a spokesperson for the Democratic Socialist campaign agreed that Dobbie was correct and apologised for the error. "The national Green Party does permit a 'conscience' vote, but the Greens NSW do not."

Dobbie said that the Greens NSW had advocated repeal of the abortion laws in last year's Parramatta by-election. "Women's Abortion Action Campaign sent a questionnaire to all candidates and publicised the results. They showed the Greens' support for a woman's right to choose abortion."

From GLW issue 173